OP  COUNTRY  AND  CITY 


\ 


V     : '  \ 


\\ 


OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELA 


GOLD  TINSEL  AND  TRASH 


STORIES 


OF 


COUNTRY   AND    CITY 


BY  REV.  ERASMUS  W.  JONES 


AUTHOR    OF 


The  Captive  Youths  of  Judah^  The  Adopted  Son  of  the  Princess  Llangobaith: 
A  Story  of  North  Wales,  etc 


NEW  YORK:  HUNT  &>  EATON 

CINCINNA  TI:   CRANSTON  &  STOWE 

1890 


Copyright,  1890,  by 

H  U  N  T    &     E  ATOM, 

NEW  YORK. 


PREFACE, 


QOME  of  these  stories  have  appeared  as 
|M  short  serials  in  the  Northern  Christian 
Advocate.  I  have  been  often  requested  to 
publish  them  in  book  form.  In  looking  them 
over  it  was  found  that  they  would  make  but 
a  small  volume,  and  "  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash," 
"  The  Conspiracy,"  and  "  I  Took  You  with 
Guile,"  were  added  to  the  number.  While 
in  the  main  they  bear  particularly  on  Meth- 
odist usages,  they  are  designed  to  interest 
and  benefit  all  the  branches  of  Zion,  and 
check,  in  a  measure,  the  rising  tendency 
among  professed  Christians  to  indulge  in 
worldly  and  unholy  amusements. 

E.  W.  J. 

Utica,  N.  Y.,  1889. 


2130921 


CONTENTS, 


GOLD,    TINSEL  AND   TRASH. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  "  DUST  TO  DUST,"  AND  A  COWARDLY  PLOT 7 

II.  THE  ARCH-DECEIVER  BROUGHT  TO  GRIEF 19 

III.  CONFESSION,  DEFIANCE,  AND  AN  INVITATION 29 

IV.  A  BIRTHDAY-PARTY  AND  AN  ACCIDENT 39 

V.  A  METHODIST  MEETING,  AND  WHAT  THEY  THOUGHT 

OF  IT 53 

VI.  ANOTHER  BLUNDER,  AND  AN  EXIT 64 

VII.  THE  "  BEST  SOCIETY  "  ANALYZED 73 

VIII.  A  MEETING  AT  FARRINGTON'S,  AND  "  THE  COMING 

OF  ARTHUR." 82 

IX.  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  MODEL,  AND  How  IT  WORKED 93 

X.  RAILROAD  CALAMITY,  A  SCREAM,  AND  THEN  JOY....  106 

OTHER  STORIES  OF  COUNTRY  AND  CITY. 

SHARP  WORDS  ON  OLD  FLINTROCK  CIRCUIT 113 

THE  MAN  WITH  THE  RUFFLED  SHIRT  ;  OR,  MY  FIRST  WEEK 

ON  L CHARGE 166 

JOHN'S  WIFE'S  BROTHER  :  A  THANKSGIVING  STORY 202 

THE  CONSPIRACY  :  A  STORY  OF  THE  MEDES  AND  PERSIANS..  218 

SUNNY  MEMORIES  OF  CONFERENCE  CHUMS 241 

"  I  TOOK  You  WITH  GUILE  " *. 256 

THE  GREAT  REVIVAL  AT  TONVILLE 264 


GOLD,  TINSEL  AND  TRASH. 


CHAPTER  I. 
"DUST  TO  DUST,"  AND  A  COWARDLY  PLOT. 

rpHE  fever  had  subsided,  and  reason  had  resumed 
the  throne  from  which  it  had  been  banished  for 
more  than  three  weeks.  But  such  had  been  the 
severity  of  the  attack  that  there  was  hardly  any 
hope  that  nature  would  rally.  Dr.  Thomas,  a 
physician  of  wide  repute,  had  faithfully  attended  to 
the  sick  man,  and  nothing  which  skill  and  personal 
friendship  could  accomplish  had  been  wanting. 
Some  two  days  after  the  fever  had  turned  the 
sufferer  expressed  a  wish  to  be  left  alone  with  the 
doctor  for  a  few  minutes,  and  the  attendants  left 
the  room. 

"  Well,  doctor,"  said  Mr.  Trevor,  in  a  very  faint 
voice  and  with  a  pleasant  smile,  "  I  understand  the 
situation  perfectly.  I  am  about  to  emigrate,  and  I 
am  fully  prepared  for  the  voyage.  My  mind  is 
calm  and  my  spirit  tranquil.  That  religion  which 
I  embraced  in  my  early  youth  sustains  me  now. 
I  am  very  happy,  and  perfectly  reconciled  to  the 
will  divine.  I  simply  wished  to  tell  you  this,  and 
nothing  more." 


8  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

11  Gordon,"  said  the  doctor,  "  the  providence  that 
takes  you  away  in  the  midst  of  your  days  and  in 
the  height  of  your  influence  is  mysterious;  but  in 
the  light  of  heaven  we  shall  clearly  understand  it. 
The  grace  so  richly  bestowed  upon  the  husband 
and  father  will  grandly  sustain  the  wife  and 
children.  I  must  now  leave.  I  will  call  again  in 
the  morning."  The  physician  left,  and  the  attend- 
ants re-entered  the  sick  chamber. 

The  next  day,  after  the  departure  of  the  doctor, 
the  sick  man  spoke  to  his  wife,  who,  with  his  hand 
in  her  own,  was  close  to  his  pillow. 

"  Jennie,  while  I  have  yet  a  bit  of  strength  I 
would  like  to  have  once  more  family  prayer.  Let 
Arthur  and  Alice  be  called  in." 

In  a  few  moments,  accompanied  by  their  pastor, 
the  children  came  into  the  room,  and,  sobbing,  they 
stood  by  the  side  of  their  father's  dying  bed. 

He  cast  upon  them  a  loving  smile  and  said  :  "  My 
sweet,  loved  ones,  your  papa  is  about  to  leave  you. 
You  have  been  very  good  children,  and  in  the  bright 
hereafter  we  shall  all  meet  again.  We  will  pray 
together  once  more.  Kneel  down  where  I  can  put 
my  hand  on  your  heads." 

The  mother  and  children  fell  on  their  knees  close 
together,  within  the  reach  of  the  father's  right 
hand.  All  others  in  the  room  bowed  before  the 
Lord,  while  in  faint  accents  and  with  a  face  illu- 
mined that  good  man  offered  his  last  prayer. 
When  it  was  over  he  affectionately  kissed  his  wife 
and  children,  and  bade  them  farewell.  He  sank  into 
a  quiet  slumber,  and  in  the  afternoon,  without  a 


''Dust  to  Dust,-'  and  a  Cowardly  Plot.         9 

struggle  or  a  groan,  the  happy  spirit  passed  away 
to  the  "  Bright  Forever." 

Marvindale  at  the  time  of  our  story,  thirty  years 
ago,  had  reached  a  population  of  three  thousand, 
and  was  noted  for  its  many  attractive  features.  It 
stood  on  both  sides  of  a  river  which,  owing  to  a 
large  number  of  tributary  springs,  never  became 
low.  Its  water  privileges  were  very  fine,  and  many 
of  its  citizens  were  engaged  in  milling.  Within  a 
mile  of  the  place  there  was  a  small  lake,  surrounded 
by  delightful  groves,  which  rendered  the  vicinity  in 
the  summer  season  a  favorite  resort.  There  were  in 
the  village  quite  a  number  of  stores,  the  most 
prominent  of  which  was  owned  and  conducted  by 
Hon.  James  Mason. 

Gordon  Trevor  until  his  sudden  sickness  had 
been  a  man  of  great  business  energy.  But  his  strict 
attention  to  worldly  matters  did  not  retard  his 
religious  activity.  He  was  one  of  the  most  efficient 
and  liberal  official  members  in  the  village  Methodist 
church.  His  death  spread  a  deep  gloom  over  the 
whole  vicinity,  and  his  funeral  was  the  largest  ever 
witnessed  in  Marvindale. 

Mrs.  Trevor  was  an  accomplished,  amiable,  and 
pious  lady.  Arthur  was  a  splendid  specimen  of 
young  humanity  in  body  and  mind,  sixteen  years  of 
age.  Alice,  two  years  younger,  was  fair  in  person, 
kind  in  disposition,  sprightly,  and,  with  her  brother, 
already  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Although  Mr.  Trevor  in  his  milling  enterprise 
was  a  successful  man  of  business  he  was  by  no 
means  rich.  At  the  widow's  request  his  friends 


io  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

sold  the  mill  property  for  a  sum  which,  after  pay- 
ing all  indebtedness,  left  the  family  in  moderately 
comfortable  circumstances. 

Fortunately  for  the  bereaved  household  there 
was  in  the  village  a  very  excellent  academy,  into 
which  Arthur  had  entered  some  months  before  his 
father's  death,  while  Alice  preferred  to  remain 
awhile  longer  in  the  district  school,  under  the 
training  of  a  very  superior  teacher.  The  academy 
had  flourished  for  years  under  the  good  manage- 
ment of  Professor  Lewis. 

After  Mr.  Trevor's  death  Arthur,  with  a  thought- 
fulness  and  piety  seldom  found  in  a  boy  of  his 
years,  solemnly  vowed  to  his  heavenly  Father  that 
in  all  his  movements  at  school  and  elsewhere  he 
would  aim  to  comfort  his  mother  and  protect  his 
sister.  With  this  holy  pledge  stamped  upon  his 
memory  and  graven  upon  his  heart  the  boy  took 
hold  of  the  various  branches  of  study  with  renewed 
energy. 

Attending  the  academy  at  this  time  was  a  boy 
about  one  year  older  than  Arthur,  by  the  name  of 
Mark  Floyd.  His  father  was  a  wealthy  brewer 
residing  in  C ,  about  fifty  miles  from  Marvin- 
dale.  Floyd  was  a  good  scholar,  but  selfish  beyond 
measure,  and  in  order  to  accomplish  his  ends 
would  often  resort  to  deception  and  falsehood.  He 
was  domineering  and  arbitrary.  His  money,  which 
seemed  to  be  abundant,  he  freely  shared  with  those 
boys  who  flattered  his  vanity  and  put  up  with  his 
selfishness.  In  this  way  he  found  a  few  in  his  own 
class  that  were  ready  to  run  at  his  bidding.  His  love 


"Dust  to  Dust,''1  and  a  Cowardly  Plot.        1 1 

of  being  admired  was  immoderate,  and  this,  more 
than  any  thing  else,  had  urged  him  onward  in  his 
studies.  The  success  of  others  filled  his  mind  with 
jealousy.  There  were  many  in  the  school  who  did 
not  know  the  depth  of  this  youth's  depravity,  and 
among  them  was  Arthur  Trevor. 

Mark  was  aware  that  Arthur  was  mastering  his 
studies  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  that  his  own 
superiority  in  his  class  was  in  some  danger.  Such 
a  disaster  would  be  terrible.  And  so,  from  a  low 
motive,  he  applied  himself  to  his  studies  with  in- 
creased vigor.  In  his  recitations  he  appeared  to 
good  advantage,  and  more  than  one  of  the  teachers 
in  well-chosen  words  had  bestowed  praise  upon  the 
manner  he  and  Arthur  mastered  their  lessons. 
This  did  not  at  all  please  Mark.  The  equal  praise 
bestowed  upon  Trevor  made  him  wretched,  and  his 
countenance  denoted  displeasure.  How  widely 
different  Arthur  felt !  He  was  delighted  with  the 
praise  bestowed  upon  his  young  friend,  and  thought 
all  the  more  of  him  for  his  perseverance  and  in- 
dustry. One  afternoon  after  having  received  the 
praise  above  mentioned,  when  the  school  had  been 
dismissed,  Arthur,  noticing  a  frown  upon  Mark's 
face,  addressed  him  in  the  most  pleasant  manner. 

"  Floyd,  after  those  high  compliments  from  your 
teacher  I  cannot  account  for  your  displeased  ap- 
pearance." 

"  If  I  am  displeased,"  was  the  curt  reply,  "  it  is 
simply  my  own  business.  I  presume  you  think 
that  to  be  put  on  an  equality  with  yourself  is  a 
great  compliment." 


12  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

"  Mark,  your  words  are  unkind  and  uncivil,"  said 
Arthur,  with  some  feeling.  "  It  gave  me  pleasure 
to  hear  your  perfect  lessons,  and  I  embrace  the  first 
opportunity  to  congratulate  you." 

"  And  in  doing  this  you  congratulate  yourself," 
said  Mark. 

"Not  at  all,"  said  Arthur;  "I  would  rather  be 
praised  by  my  schoolmate." 

"  I  am  not  in  that  mood  just  now,"  said  Mark, 
"and  a  fellow  that  is  so  wonderfully  delighted  by  a 
little  praise  from  his  teacher  doesn't  stand  in  need 
of  any  more  praise  on  the  same  day." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  find  you  in  such  an  unfriendly 
spirit,"  said  Arthur.  "  Can  it  be  possible  that  you 
are  displeased  because  my  lessons  have  been  praised 
as  well  as  your  own  ?  Mark,  I  cannot  afford  to 
have  imperfect  recitations  in  order  to  please  you 
or  any  one  else.  I  am  going  to  do  my  very  best, 
and  so  are  you.  If  you  leave  me  behind  I  shall 
rejoice  in  your  victory.  If  you  find  yourself 
behind,  which  is  not  probable,  can't  you  rejoice 
in  mine  ?" 

To  the  relief  of  Mark  a  number  of  the  boys 
joined  them,  and  Arthur  Trevor  in  a  thoughtful 
mood  left  the  room  and  slowly  walked  toward 
home. 

Floyd  well  knew  that  his  treatment  of  Arthur 
was  not  at  all  in  harmony  with  polite  usages,  and 
did  not  feel  quite  easy.  But  his  selfishness  out- 
weighed his  better  judgment,  and  very  unworthy 
and  degrading  purposes  were  readily  admitted 
into  his  ungenerous  soul.  Trevor,  who  had  never 


"Dust  to  Dust"  and  a  Cowardly  Plot.        13 

showed  him  that  deference  which  some  other  boys 
had,  must  not  be  permitted  to  remain  his  equal. 

The  more  Arthur  reflected  upon  the  brief  con- 
versation between  himself  and  Floyd,  the  more  that 
student  fell  in  his  estimation.  His  amiability  and 
loving  disposition  did  not  at  all  interfere  with  his 
moral  courage,  decision  of  character,  and  keen  sen- 
sitiveness to  an  insult.  Therefore  it  will  not  be 
wondered  at  that  after  calm  reflection  on  the  situ- 
ation he  became  more  determined  than  ever  to 
apply  himself  diligently  to  his  books,  and  strive  in 
a  fair  and  honorable  manner  to  reach  a  high  mark 
in  his  studies. 

The  Hon.  Judge  Mason  was  considered  by  far 
the  wealthiest  man  in  Marvindale.  When  young 
he  had  studied  law,  and  graduated  with  high  honors 
in  that  department.  He  had  been  repeatedly  elected 
to  the  Legislature,  and  subsequently  to  the  State 
Senate.  He  had  also  served  for  some  years  as 
county  judge.  He  might  have  easily  reached  higher 
distinction  if  he  had  permitted  his  friends  to  pre- 
sent his  claims.  He  chose,  however,  in  the  midst 
of  his  popularity,  to  retire  from  politics  and  devote 
himself  to  the  interests  of  his  mercantile  business. 
He  was  highly  popular  with  the  masses.  With  this 
his  brilliant  talents  had  much  to  do ;  but  his  kind 
heart,  his  wonderful  benevolence,  and  his  unblem- 
ished public  record  weighed  more  than  his  fine 
abilities.  He  was  ever  ready  "  for  every  good  word 
and  work."  He  was  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  village  and  of 
its  Quarterly  Conference.  He  took  deep  interest 


14  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash, 

in  all  educational  measures.  He  was  specially 
interested  in  the  Marvindale  Academy,  and  to 
him  much  of  its  success  was  justly  attributed. 
There  was  one  annual  "  Mason  prize,"  twenty  dol- 
lars in  gold,  to  a  gentleman  of  the  graduating 
class,  for  the  best  original  oration  in  composition 
and  delivery,  with  a  ten-dollar  prize  for  the  best 
original  essay  from  one  of  the  lady  graduates.  In 
addition  to  this  he  would  often  surprise  other 
classes  with  irregular  prizes,  given  for  their  encour- 
agement and  advancement.  His  family  consisted 
of  a  wife  and  one  daughter,  a  young  lady  then  in 
her  twentieth  year. 

On  the  morning  following  Mark  Floyd's  ill- 
natured  remarks  to  his  young  classmate  Professor 
Lewis,  at  the  close  of  recitations,  addressed  the  class 
of  the  second  year  as  follows: 

"  I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  as  an  incentive 
to  study,  and  for  the  encouragement  of  faithful 
scholars,  Hon.  Judge  Mason,  with  his  usual  liberality, 
has  put  in  my  hands  two  valuable  prizes,  to  be 
competed  for  by  members  of  this  class  at  a  time 
to  be  mentioned  hereafter :  ten  dollars  for  the 
best  original  oration,  in  composition  and  delivery, 
and  five  dollars  for  the  second  best.  The  compe- 
tition is  confined  to  young  gentlemen.  This  will 
make  a  lively  entertainment  aside  from  our  usual 
exercises  at  the  close  of  the  term.  Those  who  will 
take  a  part  in  this  contest  will  please  hand  in  their 
names  within  a  week  from  to-day.  The  names  will 
not  be  made  public  until  the  evening  of  the  com- 
petition. It  is  not  expected  that  the  orations  will 


"Dust  to  Dust^  and  a  Cowardly  Plot.        15 

be  equal  in  merit  to  those  of  gentlemen  of  riper 
years.  Remember  that  they  must  be  original. 
You  may  be  tempted  to  borrow.  Trample  on  the 
temptation  and  be  honest.  You  may  now  retire." 

This  caused  lively  a  talk  among  the  members  of 
the  class.  All  the  boys  were  at  home  in  declaiming, 
but  an  original  oration  was  something  they  had 
never  undertaken.  Some  shook  their  heads  and 
declared  that  it  was  beyond  their  ability.  Mark 
was  silent,  and  from  his  behavior  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  understand  his  purpose.  He  most  earnestly 
coveted  the  prize,  but  there  were  obstacles  in  the 
way,  and  how  could  they  be  removed  ?  He  well 
knew  that  in  showing  his  ill-feeling  toward  Arthur 
he  had  seriously  blundered  and  had  injured  his  own 
chances.  He  saw  that  he  must  use  different  tactics 
or  fail.  On  this  day,  after  school  in  the  afternoon, 
he  met  his  young  schoolmate,  and  in  a  very  polite 
manner  asked  him  to  go  with  him  to  his  room 
for  a  few  minutes.  Arthur  readily  complied,  and 
they  were  soon  seated  in  a  well-furnished  apart- 
ment. 

"  Trevor,"  said  Mark,  "yesterday  my  head  ached 
badly.  Under  that  bad  feeling  I  felt  cross  and 
used  language  that  I  would  not  have  used  under 
other  circumstances.  I  hardly  knew  what  I  was 
saying.  I  hope  you  will  let  that  pass  and  say  noth- 
ing about  it." 

"  I  will  do  that  most  gladly,"  said  Arthur.  "  You 
ought  to  be  thankful  that  in  spite  of  headache  you 
can  get  such  splendid  lessons." 

"  O,"  said  Mark,  wondering  whether  there  was 


1 6  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

any  sarcasm  in  Arthur's  reply,  "  I  had  mastered  my 
lessons  before  the  headache  came  on." 

"  That  was  fortunate,"  said  Arthur,  smiling,  ''and 
I  would  advise  you  to  master  your  temper  as  well 
before  you  get  another  attack." 

"  That  is  good  advice,"  said  Mark,  hiding  a  rising 
resentment.  "  But  what  do  you  think  of  Mason's 
new  notion?  " 

"  I  think  it  is  very  kind  in  him,"  was  the  reply ; 
"  but  to  ask  an  original  oration  from  fellows  of  our 
ages  is  something  new." 

"  And  I  should  say  perfectly  unreasonable,"  said 
Mark,  in  a  sneering  tone. 

"That  cannot  be,"  answered  Trevor;  "Judge 
Mason  and  Professor  Lewis  would  not  propose  any 
thing  unreasonable." 

"  This  time  I  think  they  have,"  said  Floyd. 
"  What  can  boys  of  seventeen  and  eighteen  pro- 
duce in  the  shape  of  an  original  oration  ?  They 
will  be  laughed  at.  And  will  not  such  wretched 
failures  discourage  the  class  instead  of  advancing 
it  ?  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  it,  and  I  am 
informed  that  this  is  the  feeling  of  the  whole 
class." 

"  I  can  hardly  believe  that  you  have  been  correctly 
informed,"  said  Arthur.  "  Professor  Lewis  knows 
what  the  class  can  do,  and  I  am  not  going  to 
despise  his  judgment." 

"  You  may  do  as  you  please,"  said  Mark.  "  I  say 
again  that  I  believe  the  boys  will  follow  my  ex- 
ample and  that  there  will  be  no  competition." 

Here  the  conversation  was  brought  to  a  close  by 


"Dust  to  Dust"  and  a  Cowardly  Plot.        17 

the  coming  in  of  two  members  of  the  class,  and 
Arthur  quietly  departed. 

"  Well,  boys,  you  are  here  a  little  sooner  than  I 
expected,"  said  Mark,  "  and  it  doesn't  look  much 
as  if  I  was  to  entertain  my  friends.  To-day  it 
must  be  on  a  small  scale,  hoping  for  something 
better  in  the  future." 

He  then  opened  a  cupboard,  and  placing  before 
them  a  good  supply  of  oranges,  nuts,  candies,  and 
cakes,  asked  them  to  help  themselves  and  to  feel  at 
home ;  which  request,  to  all  appearance,  was  cheer- 
fully complied  with. 

"  Baker,  did  you  ask  Tom  Jones  and  Fred  Will- 
iams to  come  ?"  asked  Floyd. 

"  I  did,"  was  the  reply,  "  but  they  declined  in 
terms  that  you  would  not  consider  complimentary." 

"Just  as  I  expected,"  said  Mark.  "Those  two 
chaps  and  Arthur  Trevor  are  jealous  of  my  stand- 
ing in  the  school,  and  they  would  be  glad  to  injure 
me  if  they  could  do  it  on  the  sly." 

"  They  can't  do  it !"  cried  Thompson,  inspired  by 
a  plentiful  supply  of  oranges.  "  Hurrah  for  Mark 
Floyd!  He  is  our  leader,  and  we  are  ready  to 
follow." 

"  You  pay  me  too  much  honor,  gentlemen,"  said 
Mark,  "  but  I  thank  you  for  your  cheering  words." 

"  By  the  way,"  asked  Baker,  "  what  does  Arthur 
think  of  this  original  oration  business?" 

"  He  thinks  the  job  is  too  heavy  for  the  class," 
said  Floyd,  "and  in  this  I  agree  with  him.  Since 
his  name  is  mentioned  I  will  give  you  the  nature 
of  a  good  round  joke  which  I  am  going  to  play  on 


1 8  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

him,  and  of  course  you  will  assist  me.  I  assured 
him  that  I  was  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  this  con- 
test, that  it  was  altogether  beyond  our  powers,  and 
that  this  was  the  sentiment  of  the  whole  class.  I 
am  of  the  opinion  that  under  this  impression  he 
will  not  hand  in  his  name.  He  is  the  only  one  that 
I  fear,  and  I  have  resorted  to  this  little  trick  to 
switch  him  off  while  our  train  passes.  What  think 
you  of  that  ?" 

"  Good  for  you  !"  was  the  response. 

"  Now,"  continued  the  leader,  "  let  us  finish  our 
arrangements  without  delay,  and  let  them  be  known 
to  no  living  person  outside  of  our  circle.  Professor 
Lewis  will  not  reveal  names." 

Having  furnished  an  outline  of  his  intended 
movements,  and  his  companions  having  satisfied 
themselves  with  their  leader's  delicacies,  the  party 
broke  up,  and  before  the  setting  of  the  sun  the 
names  of  Floyd,  Baker,  and  Thompson  were  handed 
to  Professor  Lewis  as  competitors  for  the  prize. 


The  Arch-Deceiver  Brought  to  Grief,          19 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  ARCH-DECEIVER  BROUGHT  TO  GRIEF. 

"VTOTWITHSTANDING  Arthur's  defense  of 
i\|  Judge  Mason  and  the  principal,  the  words  of 
Mark  had  left  some  impression  on  his  mind.  If  the 
rest  of  the  boys  were  to  stand  aloof,  of  course  there 
would  be  no  competition.  He  wondered  that  such 
a  good  and  ready  speaker  should  look  with  disfavor 
upon  a  measure  which  presented  him  such  an  ex- 
cellent opportunity  to  win  new  honors.  Well,  he 
would  think  the  matter  over,  and  would  be  in  no 
haste  to  hand  in  his  name. 

One  evening,  as  the  mother  with  her  two  children 
sat  in  their  comfortable  parlor,  the  sister  thus 
opened  the  conversation : 

"  Arthur,  the  girls  all  say  that  the  first  oration 
prize  will  fall  either  to  you  or  Mark  Floyd,  and 
nearly  all  hope  that  you  will  be  the  lucky  fel- 
low." 

-  "  I  thank  them  for  their  good  wishes,"  said  the 
brother;  "  but  Mark  ridicules  the  whole  thing,  and 
says  that  he  and  the  rest  of  the  class  will  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it.  He  was  very  anxious  to  win 
me  over  to  the  same  opinion." 

"  Now,  that  is  very  strange  !"  said  Alice.  "  It  is 
not  at  all  like  him  and  the  rest  of  the  class ! 
Arthur,  I  don't  believe  that  he  told  you  the  truth." 


2O  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

"  If  he  did  tell  the  truth,"  answered  the  brother, 
"  I  don't  see  any  use  in  handing  in  my  name." 

"  My  boy  in  this  matter  should  not  be  governed 
by  the  action  of  his  classmates,"  said  the  mother. 
"  He  should  inquire  what  is  right  in  the  premises, 
and  what  are  the  wishes  of  Professor  Lewis." 

"  That  is  so,  mother,"  said  Arthur.  "  I  told  Mark 
as  much.  To-morrow  ends  the  week.  I  will  give 
Professor  Lewis  my  name  and  will  begin  to  think 
of  a  theme." 

"  You  ought  to  have  done  it  before,  Arthur,"  said 
the  mother,  in  a  pleasant  tone.  "  You  will  always 
treat  Mark  Floyd  with  proper  civility,  but  he  is  not 
the  one  to  be  admitted  into  your  confidence.  You 
may  possibly  find  out  before  long  that  his  advice  to 
you  on  this  point  was  not  prompted  by  honest 
feelings." 

The  door-bell  rang,  and  presently  the  smiling 
countenance  of  Professor  Lewis  was  seen  in  the 
room.  He  began  at  once  with  the  object  of  his 
visit. 

"  My  chief  business  is  with  you,  Arthur ;  but  I  am 
glad  to  see  you  together,  and  please  so  remain. 
Arthur,  I  have  wondered  why  you  have  not  given 
your  name  as  a  competitor  for  the  oration  prize. 
If  there  are  any  obstacles  in  your  way  that  you  feel 
free  to  mention  I  will  be  glad  to  remove  them,  if 
within  my  legitimate  power." 

"  We  were  conversing  on  that  very  subject  when 
the  bell  rang,"  said  Arthur.  "  Some  days  ago 
Mark  Floyd  told  me  positively  that  he  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  this  contest,  and  that  the  other 


The  Arch-Deceiver  Brought  to  Grief.         21 

boys  had  come  to  the  same  conclusion.  He  said 
so  much  that  I  have  hesitated  in  regard  to  the 
matter.  But  by  the  advice  of  my  mother  I  shall 
most  gladly  hand  in  my  name  to-morrow." 

There  was  on  the  professor's  countenance  a 
mingled  expression  of  sorrow  and  pleasure  as  he 
replied  : 

"  Arthur,  the  obstacles  can  be  very  easily  re- 
moved. I  will  not  mention  individuals,  but  I  will 
assure  you  that  I  have  the  names  of  a  fair  number 
of  the  members  of  your  class  that  will  enter  the 
competition.  The  names  must  be  all  in  to-morrow. 
Arthur,  please  call  at  my  room  to-morrow  evening 
at  nine  o'clock,  and  hand  in  your  name.  If  during 
the  day,  at  any  time  before  that  hour,  you  are  asked 
by  any  of  the  boys  if  you  have  handed  in  your 
name,  please  give  them  a  very  emphatic  'No  /'  ' 
And  the  professor,  with  a  restored  smile,  bade  the 
company  "  good-night." 

"  Arthur,  don't  you  now  see  through  Mark's 
plot?"  asked  Alice,  with  much  feeling.  "He 
wickedly  lied  in  order  to  get  you  out  of  the  way." 

"  But  Professor  Lewis  did  not  say  that  Mark's 
name  is  on  the  list,"  said  Arthur.  "  He  may  not 
have  lied  in  that  after  all." 

"  But  he  did  lie  in  that !  "  said  Alice,  with  much 
spirit.  "  Didn't  I  watch  the  professor's  counte- 
nance ?  In  my  opinion  Mark's  name  heads  the  list, 
and  very  likely  it  was  handed  in  on  the  very  day 
when  he  assured  you  that  he  would  have  nothing 
to  do  with  it." 

"Then  he   is  a   very  much   worse   boy  than   I 


22  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

thought  he  was,"  said  Arthur,  reflectively.  "  Let 
us  hope,  Alice,  that  he  is  not  quite  so  bad  as  that." 

"  It  is  very  good  in  you,  my  boy,  to  talk  in  this 
manner,"  said  Mrs.  Trevor.  "  I  am  pleased  with 
your  kind  spirit.  We  will  hope  as  best  we  can  ; 
but,  as  things  appear  now,  I  greatly  fear  that  Mark 
Floyd,  for  a  very  selfish  purpose,  has  deliberately 
told  you  an  untruth." 

"And  it  would  be  just  like  him  to  lie  again  by 
saying  that  an  oration  written  by  another  person 
was  his  own,"  said  Alice. 

"  Not  quite  so  fast,  my  darling,"  said  the  mother. 
"  It  will  be  soon  enough  to  judge  of  that  after  the 
oration  is  delivered.  Let  us  join  with  Arthur  in 
hoping." 

The  next  day  young  Trevor  attended  school  as 
usual.  Mark  and  his  associates  seemed  cheerful, 
and  yet  they  showed  a  degree  of  nervousness. 
Was  Trevor's  name  given  to  Professor  Lewis?  or 
would  it  be  within  the  limited  time?  were  questions 
that  gave  Floyd  much  uneasiness.  If  up  to  that 
time  he  had  not  taken  that  step  the  probability  was 
that  he  had  abandoned  the  thought.  They  would 
try  and  gain  this  coveted  information.  Mark  had 
given  full  directions  how  to  proceed. 

The  school  was  out  for  the  afternoon,  and  the 
scholars  were  on  their  way  to  their  respective 
homes  and  boarding-houses.  In  the  most  friendly 
manner  Baker  asked  his  young  friend, 

"  Trevor,  do  you  think  that  I  am  responsible  for 
the  imperfect  manner  in  which  I  recite  my  lessons 
when  I  do  my  very  best  ?  " 


The  Arch-Deceiver  Brought  to  Grief.          23 

"  I  think  that  the  most  of  your  recitations  are 
very  good,"  said  Arthur  ;  "  we  all  fail  sometimes." 

"  I  fail  very  often,"  said  Baker,  "  and  you  never 
fail.  If  I  had  the  ability  that  you  and  Mark  mani- 
fest I  would  not  hesitate  a  moment  to  enter  this 
contest.  I  wonder  that  such  a  bright  fellow  as 
Mark  Floyd  should  refuse  to  engage  in  it.  Trevor, 
you  will  have  an  easy  victory,  for  of  course  you 
have  handed  in  your  name." 

"  Of  course  /  have  not,"  said  Arthur,  with  studied 
force.  "  Mark  assured  me  that  all  the  boys  were 
going  to  stand  aside." 

"  It  would  be  embarrassing  to  be  the  only  speaker," 
said  Baker,  "  and,  for  one,  I  don't  blame  you." 

By  this  time  their  roads  parted.  Each  went  his 
way  well  pleased  with  the  conversation. 

In  half  an  hour  Floyd  had  his  company  together 
in  order  to  hear  Baker's  report.  - 

"The  scheme  has  worked  splendidly,"  said  Baker. 
"  As  far  as  Trevor  is  concerned  the  coast  is  clear." 

"  Give  me  his  exact  language  !  "  cried  Mark. 

This  was  soon  done  to  the  perfect  satisfaction  of 
the  leader.  "  Ha  !  ha  !  "  he  cried,  "  We  are  going 
to  have  things  our  own  way !  Keep  shady,  boys  ! 
Mum  is  the  word.  Let  us  stand  together.  You 
know  that  I  am  not  backward  in  rewarding  my 
friends.  Make  perfectly  free  with  those  oranges. 
There  are  plenty  more  where  they  came  from,  and 
my  purse  is  far  from  being  empty." 

At  nine  o'clock  that  night  Arthur  Trevor's  name 
completed  the  list  of  competitors. 

It  was  a  late  hour  and  the   door  was  locked.     In 


24  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

one  hand  Mark  held  a  letter  which  he  had  just  read, 
and  in  the  other  a  certain  manuscript  which  de- 
noted a  fair  degree  of  age.  He  seemed  to  be  in 
deep  reflection,  as  if  balancing  possibilities.  Upon 
the  whole  he  appeared  pleased,  and  yet  not  quite 
free  from  fear.  He  well  knew  that  he  was  contem- 
plating the  performance  of  a  dishonest  act.  He 
tried  to  believe  that  it  partook  of  the  nature  of  a 
joke,  but  that  effort  was  vain.  He  was  determined 
to  make  the  venture.  His  deceptive,  lying  course  for 
the  past  two  or  three  weeks  had  greatly  strength- 
ened him  in  his  dishonest  career.  He  had  read 
both  the  letter  and  the  manuscript,  and  was  revolv- 
ing in  his  mind  the  contents  of  both,  especially 
those  of  the  letter.  He  looked  at  it  again,  and  gave 
it  a  second  perusal.  It  ran  thus : 

"And  so  you  stand  in  need  of  a  little  help,  eh? 
Well,  Mark,  I  am  in  the  same  fix  myself.  I  am  not 
in  need  of  an  '  original  oration ; '  I  have  stacks  of 
them  laid  away.  If  by  exchanging  commodities  we 
can  help  each  other  let  us  proceed  to  business. 
Drink  I  must  have.  Drink  I  will  have !  It  is  kill- 
ing me,  yet  I  cling  to  it  for  dear  life ;  I  am  about 
half  drunk  now.  But,  degraded  as  I  am,  I  will  say 
to  you,  beware  of  the  bewitching  devil !  I  am  in 
the  power  of  a  demon,  and  my  moral  powers  are 
crushed.  I  expect  to  live  and  die  a  drunkard. 

"  Now  to  business.  I  send  you  an  original  ora- 
tion. It  was  never  printed.  My  chum  at  college 
said  it  was  prime,  and  copied  parts  of  it  into  his 
diary.  It  was  many,  many  years  ago,  and  five  hun- 


The  Arch-Deceiver  Brought  to  Grief.         25 

dred  miles  from  Marvindale ;  so  that  there  is  not 
the  least  danger  that  it  will  ever  give  you  any 
trouble.  Mark,  you  are  not  engaged  in  an  honora- 
ble business  ;  but  that  is  your  own  look-out.  I  am 
in  need  of  money  ;  so  let  us  hurry  up  matters.  If 
the  oration  suits  you,  copy  it,  burn  the  original,  and 
send  me  ten  dollars.  I  will  pledge  to  you  my  eter- 
nal secrecy.  JOHN  BUDLONG." 

"  I  think  I  will  do  it,  Jack,"  said  Mark  to  himself. 
"  The  parts  that  are  too  smart  I  will  tone  down  to 
my  own  level.  I  will  put  in  a  sentence  here  and 
there  ;  just  enough  to  make  it  '  original.'  Ha  !  ha  ! 
Yes,  Jack,  I'll  do  it,  and,  sot  as  you  are,  I  know  you 
will  never  go  back  on  me.  This  time  I  must  not 
only  win  the  prize,  but  I  must  excel.  So,  Jack,  for 
the  present  I  bid  you  '  good-night.'  " 

Soon  after  all  the  names  had  been  handed  in,  Pro- 
fessor Lewis  privately  informed  each  competitor 
that  the  contest  would  take  place  in  four  weeks  at 
the  Presbyterian  church.  From  the  nature  of  the 
situation,  as  the  reader  fully  understands,  the  con- 
testants were  as  retired  in  their  preparations  as 
circumstances  would  permit. 

The  day  arrived,  and  the  exercises  were  to  begin 
at  8  P.  M.  The  notice  had  been  widely  circulated, 
and  much  interest  was  manifested  on  the  part  of 
the  people.  The  villagers  in  large  number  hastened 
to  the  commodious  building,  while  hundreds  came 
from  the  adjoining  country. 

The  audience  was  called  to  order  by  Professor 
Lewis,  who  said  :  "  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  it  is 


26  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

not  a  common  practice  to  ask  for  original  orations 
from  the  class  of  the  second  year.  But  in  many 
instances  a  departure  from  settled  customs  has 
proved  to  be  a  healthy  improvement.  We  have 
not  deemed  it  expedient  to  have  a  printed  pro- 
gramme. You  will  be  the  more  interested  in  learn- 
ing the  names  of  the  competitors  as  one  by  one 
they  are  called  and  appear  on  the  stage." 

The  first  speaker  was  Mr.  Baker.  He  chose  for 
his  theme  "  Truthfulness."  He  was  followed  by 
Mr.  Thompson,  on  "  The  Elements  of  Success." 
Fred  Williams  was  then  announced,  who  gave  the 
audience  "  The  Reward  of  Perseverance."  He  was 
followed  by  Thomas  Jones,  who  chose  "  Cicero  "  for 
his  theme.  Mark  Floyd  then  marched  on  the  stage 
in  a  graceful  manner  and  spoke  on  "  Life's  Respon- 
sibilities." He  left  the  platform  under  the  full 
conviction  that  he  was  the  last  speaker  for  the 
evening  and  that  the  first  prize  was  ready  to  drop 
into  his  hand.  Smiles  were  exchanged  between  the 
plotters,  but  when  the  name  of  Arthur  Trevor  was 
called  Floyd's  countenance  turned  pale.  The  theme 
was  "  Moral  Integrity."  The  young  orator  left  the 
rostrum  amid  loud  cheering. 

"  While  the  adjudicators  are  getting  ready  their 
report,"  said  Professor  Lewis,  "  the  audience  will 
be  entertained  with  vocal  and  instrumental  music." 

In  about  twenty  minutes  Dr.  Parker  stood  on  the 
stage  and  said,  "Your  judges  have  fully  agreed  on 
the  following  brief  adjudication :  Mr.  Baker's  ora- 
tion possesses  many  valuable  thoughts.  The  de- 
livery was  on  too  high  a  pitch,  and  less  violent 


The  Arch-Deceiver  Brought  to  Grief.         27 

gestures  would  have  been  an  improvement.  Mr. 
Thompson's  oration  possessed  many  '  elements  of 
success.'  It  was  marred  by  several  grammatical  de- 
fects and  was  not  thoroughly  committed  to  memory. 
Mr.  Williams's  oration  is  creditable  as  a  composition, 
and  the  delivery,  upon  the  whole,  was  commenda- 
ble. Mr.  Jones  might  have  selected  a  subject  more 
suitable  to  his  age,  but  his  effort  was  worthy  of 
praise.  Mr.  Trevor,  for  a  person  so  young,  showed 
wonderful  proficiency  both  in  matter  and  oratory. 
Your  adjudicators  are  extremely  sorry  to  be  com- 
pelled to  state  before  this  audience  that  Mr.  Floyd 
is  not  legitimately  in  the  contest.  The  prizes  are 
for  original  orations.  They  have  in  their  possession 
the  most  positive  proof  that  the  one  he  delivered 
was  originally  written  many  years  ago  by  a  young 
man  at  college.  We  hope  that  Mr.  Floyd  will  be 
able  to  show  that  he  was  mistaken  in  regard  to  the 
terms  of  the  contest. 

"  The  first  prize  is  awarded  to  Arthur  Trevor, 
and  the  second  to  be  equally  divided  between  Fred 
Williams  and  Thomas  Jones." 

This  was  followed  by  loud  applause.  The  vic- 
tors were  called  on  the  stage  and  publicly  rewarded. 
While  the  band  played  the  large  audience  dispersed, 
well  pleased  with  the  entertainment  and  with  the 
verdict  of  the  judges. 

Dr.  Parker,  who  read  the  adjudication,  was  John 
Budlong's  ch«m  at  college,  who  had  copied  parts 
of  the  oration  into  his  diary,  as  mentioned  in  the 
poor  drunkard's  letter  to  Mark  Floyd. 

As   the    reader   may   well   judge,  Mark   and  his 


28  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

dupes  were  overwhelmed  with  confusion.  They 
hastened  together  to  the  chief  plotter's  head-quar- 
ters. So  sure  was  he  of  receiving  the  first  prize  that 
he  had  made  preparations  for  a  gay  time  of  feast- 
ing on  a  large  scale.  The  disappointment  was 
crushing,  and  his  defeat  double.  He  not  only  failed 
of  getting  the  prize,  but  was  also  disgraced  before 
the  whole  assembly.  He  could  not  plead  ignorance, 
for  on  this  very  point  the  class  had  been  faithfully 
warned  by  Professor  Lewis.  Mark's  countenance 
denoted  anger  and  defiance,  while  his  two  compan- 
ions showed  a  degree  of  shame  and  some  sorrow. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  Floyd,  with  a  forced  smile  of 
indifference,  "  we  have  been  badly  worsted.  Baker, 
Arthur  must  have  lied  to  you  when  he  said  that  his 
name  had  not  been  handed  in." 

"  I  presume  it  was  handed  in  that  evening,"  said 
Baker.  "  I  don't  believe  that  Arthur  Trevor  ever 
told  a  lie.  The  lying  was  all  on  our  side,  and  the 
punishment,  at  least  a  part  of  it,  has  quickly  fol- 
lowed." 

"  I  should  judge  by  your  whining  tone  that  you  are 
going  to  play  the  coward,"  said  Mark,  with  a  sneer. 

"  Call  it  what  you  choose,"  said  Baker,  "  but  for 
days  I  have  been  ashamed  of  the  part  that  I  was 
acting,  and  I  have  no  particular  fault  to  find  with 
the  manner  in  which  it  has  terminated." 

"  And  I  would  advise  such  cowards  to  leave  my 
premises,  and  make  their  humble  confessions  to  the 
powers  that  be,"  said  Mark,  in  an  angry  mood. 

"  The  best  advice  you  ever  gave  me,"  said  Baker, 
"  and  I  will  take  it  under  my  serious  consideration." 


Confession,  Defiance,  and  an  Invitation.       29 


CHAPTER  III. 
CONFESSION,  DEFIANCE,  AND  AN  INVITATION. 

ON  Monday  morning,  after  chapel  service,  Pro- 
fessor Lewis  said:  "  I  have  a  painful  duty  to' 
perform,  and  it  must  be  done  in  the  presence  of  the 
whole  school.  A  most  cowardly  plot  of  deception 
and  falsehood  was  concocted  to  keep  away  a  fellow- 
student  from  participating  in  the  late  oration  con- 
test. The  chief  mover  in  this  iniquity  was  Mark 
Floyd.  In  addition  to  this  he  has  been  guilty  of 
dishonesty  in  presenting  as  his  own  before  the 
audience  the  production  of  another  person.  Mark 
Floyd,  what  have  you  to  say  for  yourself  in  view  of 
this  disgraceful  conduct?" 

"  I  have  no  confessions  to  make,  and  I  ask  for  no 
favors,"  was  the  spiteful  reply. 

Without  making  any  remarks  on  Floyd's  lan- 
guage the  professor  went  on,  "  I  am  sorry  to  know 
that  in  this  proceeding  Mr.  Floyd  was  assisted  by  at 
least  two  members  of  his  class.  Of  this  we  have 
abundant  proof.  I  trust  that  on  the  part  of  these 
two  gentlemen  a  more  becoming  spirit  will  be  mani- 
fested than  that  which  we  have  just  witnessed." 

At  this  point  Mr.  Baker  left  his  seat  and  handed 
Profes.cor  Lewis  a  folded  paper.  The  professor  first 
read  it  to  himself,  and  then,  in  harmony  with  the 
request  of  the  subscribers,  he  read  it  before  the 
whole  school  : 


30  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

"  We,  the  undersigned,  confess  with  shame  and 
sorrow  that,  in  yielding  to  the  persuasion  of  a 
member  of  our  class  to  use  deceptive  and  false 
measures  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  Arthur  Trevor 
from  the  oration  competition,  wye  were  ungentle- 
manly,  unkind,  and  even  wicked.  We  most  hum- 
bly ask  the  forgiveness  of  Professor  Lewis,  Judge 
Mason,  Arthur  Trevor,  and  the  whole  school.  If 
punishment  cannot  be  avoided,  we  pray  that  it  may 
be  of  such  a  nature  as  to  spare  as  much  as  possible 
the  feelings  of  our  parents  and  friends. 

"JOHN  BAKER, 

"  JAMES  THOMPSON." 

"  I  would  say  to  these  two  young  men  that, 
although  their  conduct  in  this  matter  was  all  they 
confess  it  to  be,"  continued  the  professor,  "yet,  in 
making  this  frank  statement  before  the  whole 
school  they  show  that  they  are  capable  of  noble 
and  worthy  deeds.  Mr.  Floyd,  you  would  better 
call  back  your  defying  words,  and  join  with  these 
young  men  in  their  confession." 

"Never!"  cried  Floyd.  "  I  detest  the  sneaking 
cowards." 

"Then  I  have  only  to  say,"  said  Professor  Lewis, 
"that  John  Baker  and  James  Thompson  are  sus- 
pended for  forty-eight  hours,  and  that  Mark  Floyd 
is  hereby  expelled.  You  will  now  quietly  go  to 
your  respective  classes,  and-  diligently  attend  to 
your  studies.  Let  what  you  have  witnessed  this 
morning  be  an  incentive  to  all  to  follow  in  the 
paths  of  truth  and  magnanimity." 


Confession,  Defiance,  and  an  Invitation.       31 

Judge  Mason's  brother,  Hiram,  was  a  rich 
merchant  in  the  city  of  New  York.  At  an  early 
age  he  had  left  the  country  for  the  metropolis,  and 
procured  a  situation  as  an  assistant  book-keeper  in 
a  large  house.  Such  was  his  proficiency  in  this  de- 
partment, together  with  his  moral  integrity  and  the 
interest  he  manifested  in  the  success  of  his  employ- 
ers, that  he  was  soon  promoted.  In  the  course  of 
a  few  years  his  services  were  considered  so  essential 
to  the  house  that,  for  fear  he  might  be  induced 
to  accept  offers  from  other  houses,  they  offered  him 
a  share  in  the  profits,  and  he  became  a  junior 
partner.  In  about  five  years  after  the  formation  of 
this  partnership  he  married  a  young  lady  from  the 
country,  with  whom  he  had  become  acquainted 
during  his  school-days,  the  daughter  of  a  farmer  in 
good  circumstances.  She  was  well-educated,  fair 
in  personal  appearance,  slightly  vain  in  her  aspira- 
tions, a  little  inclined  to  claim  superiority  over  her 
equals,  and  yet  possessing  a  very  commendable 
degree  of  kindness,  sympathy,  and  affection.  Such 
was  Mary  Downer,  who  captivated  the  heart  of  the 
thriving  young  merchant  of  the  metropolis.  She  was 
taken  to  a  fine  mansion,  well  furnished,  with  com- 
petent servants  to  do  her  bidding.  The  married 
pair  lived  happily.  The  wife,  although  cherishing 
an  excellent  opinion  of  herself,  entertained  a  far 
higher  opinion  of  her  husband  ;  and  it  gave  her 
unbounded  pleasure  to  believe  that  Hiram  Mason 
had  but  very  few  equals,  if  any,  on  this  terrestrial 
ball.  This  was  well,  and  it  served  to  keep  Mrs. 
Mason's  aspirations  within  a  circle  that  was  not 


32  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

extravagant.  At  the  time  of  our  story  they  had 
been  married  about  nineteen  years,  and  had  an  only 
child,  a  daughter,  verging  on  seventeen.  By  this 
time  Hiram  Mason  was  rich,  even  in  the  New  York 
sense  of  the  term.  He  stood  at  the  head  of  a  large 
commercial  house,  and  was  considered  worth  at 
least  a  million,  while  yet  only  forty-five  years  of 
age.  At  his  fine  mansion  on  Fifth  Avenue  he  was 
the  same  kind,  genial  man  that  he  was  twenty 
years  before.  Parties  attended,  and  given,  where 
so  often  "  vanity  of  vanity"  made  itself  prominent, 
failed  to  make  our  merchant  a  gay  worldling. 
While  yielding  to  his  wife's  wishes  in  all  things 
that  did  not  involve  a  sacrifice  of  moral  principles, 
his  soul  was  often  sick  in  view  of  the  utter  worth- 
lessness  of  scores  and  hundreds  who  moved  in  what 
was  termed  "  the  best  society."  He  was  a  full 
believer  in  orthodox  Christianity,  but  had  never 
identified  himself  with  any  branch  of  the  visible 
Church.  In  his  younger  years  he  had  sat  under  the 
Methodist  ministry,  but  since  his  marriage  he  had 
gone  with  his  wife  to  a  church  of  another  com- 
munion, of  which  she  was  a  member  at  the  time  of 
our  story.  Helen,  the  daughter,  was  exceedingly 
amiable,  and  her  affectionate  nature  was  visible  in 
her  countenance.  Her  strong  love  for  her  parents 
showed  itself  on  all  occasions.  She  possessed  in 
rich  abundance  the  noble  moral  traits  of  her  father. 
She  had  shared  in  the  privileges  of  the  Sabbath- 
school  of  the  church  she  attended,  and  had  often 
listened  to  interesting  remarks  touching  Christian 
doctrines  both  from  her  teachers  and  superin- 


Confession,  Defiance,  and  an  Invitation.       33 

tendent.  She  was  not  a  stranger  to  serious  thoughts 
in  regard  to  her  spiritual  condition,  and  often  felt 
a  longing  desire  to  be  a  genuine  Christian  and  a 
member  of  the  Church.  But  the  deportment  and 
aspirations  of  those  of  her  associates  who  did  belong 
to  the  Church  were  of  such  a  nature  as  to  repel  her 
from  seeking  that  relation.  In  them  she  looked  in 
vain  for  that  consecration  and  self-denial  of  which 
she  had  read  so  much  in  the  New  Testament.  And 
what  would  it  avail  her  to  unite  with  a  church 
where  such  a  large  proportion  of  the  members 
vied  with  non-professors  in  the  strife  for  worldly 
pleasure  ? 

She  was  young,  but  for  years  these  inconsist- 
encies proved  to  be  stumbling-blocks  in  the  path 
of  Helen  Mason.  Hitherto  she  had  said  but  little 
in  regard  to  this  point,  but  occasionally  she  would 
startle  her  mother  with  questions  touching  vital 
experimental  piety  that  would  make  Mrs.  Mason 
uncomfortable  for  hours. 

The  mother  in  her  lively  imagination  gave  her 
daughter  and  only  child  a  most  splendid  future. 
First,  she  saw  her  a  reigning  belle — a  star  of  the 
first  brilliancy,  a  leader  in  fashionable  circles,  ad- 
mired by  a  dozen  of  the  metropolis's  wealthiest 
young  men;  after  this  the  honorable  lady  of  a 
splendid  mansion,  leaning  fondly  on  the  arm  of  her 
husband,  while  men  in  livery  hastened  to  act  her 
pleasure.  The  mother  pictured  spacious  halls, 
sparkling  diamonds,  costly  costumes,  enchanting 
music,  and  graceful  cotillons.  Let  us  hope  that 
high  Heaven  has  in  store  something  infinitely  more 


34  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

brilliant  and  honorable  than  that  for  the  daughter 
of  Hiram  Mason. 

Mark  Floyd,  while  on  his  way  homeward,  put 
together  with  considerable  ingenuity  a  string  of 
lies  which  measurably  satisfied  his  father.  But  in 
less  than  a  week  the  brewer  received  a  long  letter 
from  Professor  Lewis  giving  a  minute  account  of 
the  whole  matter,  together  with  the  defiant  spirit 
his  son  had  shown  on  the  Monday  following  the 
prize  contest.  The  father,  although  a  rough, 
swearing,  immoral  man,  had  sense  .  enough  to 
know  that  Professor  Lewis's  version  was  the  correct 
one.  His  subsequent  interview  with  Mark  was  a 
scene  of  intense  passion.  The  parent  was  exceed- 
ingly angry  and  the  son  stubborn  and  defiant  ;  so 
much  so  that  the  rich  brewer  saw  fit  to  give  Mark 
a  very  thorough  shaking.  This  he  did  with  perfect 
ease,  for  he  was  a  large  man  and  physically  power- 
ful. This  was  not  the  first  boisterous  interview 
between  father  and  son,  nor  the  first  time  that 
Mark  had  tried  to  account  for  his  conduct  with  a 
falsehood.  The  shaking  was  a  new  process.  But 
instead  of  proving  a"  savor  of  life  unto  life,"  in  the 
case  of  this  depraved  boy  it  had  the  contrary 
effect.  While  suffering  this  brief  but  sharp  chastise- 
ment he  fully  made  up  his  mind  concerning  his 
future  course.  The  next  morning  he  was  not  to  be 
found  on  the  premises.  He  had  left  for  parts 
unknown,  and  for  his  traveling  expenses  he  had 
burglariously  taken  from  his  father's  office  the 
moderate  sum  of  four  hundred  dollars.  The  father, 


Confession,  Defiance,  and  an  -Invitation.       35 

being  perfectly  satisfied  that  Mark  was  the  thief, 
and  being  abundantly  rich,  made  no  ado  about  the 
theft  nor  did  he  trouble  himself  in  regard  to  the 
whereabouts  of  his  son. 


One  morning,  while  at  breakfast,  a  servant 
brought  Mr.  Hiram  Mason  a  number  of  letters. 
He  hastily  glanced  at  the  different  directions  and 
selected  one. 

'•This  is  from  Marvindale,"  he  said  as  he  opened 
it. 

"Yes,  and  from  Uncle  James,"  said  Helen,  when 
she  saw  the  familiar  handwriting. 

The  letter  was  as  follows : 

"  MARVINDALE,  May  15,  18— . 

"  DEAR  HiRAM:  As  a  family  we  are  well  and 
happy.  We  unite  in  the  most  earnest  manner  in 
sending  you  and  yours  an  invitation  to  spend  a  few 
weeks  this  coming  summer  at  Marvindale  and 
make  our  house  your  most  welcome  home.  We 
long  to  see  you  and  enjoy  your  society.  We  have 
not  the  attractions  of  the  popular  watering  resorts, 
but  we  have  a  beautiful  village,  a  delightful  lake, 
trusty  boatmen,  and  the  most  healthy  region  in  the 
State.  I  am  sure  my  charming  young  niece  would 
enjoy  our  country  life  splendidly.  You  know  we 
have  a  commodious  house,  and  if  it  would  please 
you  to  bring  some  friends  with  you  it  would  cer- 
tainly please  us. 

s'  The  closing  exercises  of  our  academy,  when  a 
large  class  shall  graduate,  will  take  place  on  the  25th 


36  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash, 

of  June.  This  will  give  Marvindale  a  lively  appear- 
ance, and  I  think  you  would  be  pleased  with  the 
proceedings.  Let  us  hear  from  you  soon,  and 
please  do  gratify  us  in  this  our  most  urgent  request. 
"  Yours,  for  myself  and  family, 

"JAMES  MASON." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  what  think  you  of  that  ?"  asked 
Mr.  Mason,  addressing  his  wife. 

"  I  had  purposed  to  go  to  Newport  or  Saratoga," 
was  the  answer.  "  It  must  be  rather  dull  in  that 
little  village.  There  are  but  very  few  there  who 
move  in  the  best  society." 

"  And  what  do  you  mean  by  '  the  best  society  ?'  ' 
asked  her  husband,    looking  at    Mrs.   Mason  with 
some  earnestness. 

"  I  mean  such  society  as  we  mingle  in  in  this 
city,  or  at  Saratoga — the  society  we  meet  at  our 
evening  parties,"  said  the  wife. 

"  I  understand,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  with  a  meaning 
smile.  "I  have  watched  what  you  call  'the  best 
society'  for  years,  and,  to  tell  you  my  honest  opin- 
ion, I  consider  it,  as  a  whole,  superficial  and  trashy, 
abounding  in  vanity,  conceit,  and  mental  weakness. 
I  would  gladly  exchange  it  for  one  where  the  peo- 
ple make  free  use  of  common  sense." 

"  My  dear,  I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  speak  so  before 
your  daughter,  who  is  just  being  introduced  into 
society,"  said  Mrs.  Mason. 

"  Mary,  I  speak  chiefly  on  our  daughter's  account," 
said  Mr.  Mason.  "  I  should  be  exceedingly  sorry 
to  see  her  following  in  the  vain  and  frivolous  foct- 


Confession,  Defiance,  and  an  Invitation.        37 

steps  of  very  many  young  people  who  move  in  what 
is  termed  '  the  best  society,'  whose  great  effort  in 
life  seems  to  be  to  outstrip  each  other  in  devotion 
to  dress  and  gayety,  while  their  moral  and  intel- 
lectual natures  are  sadly  neglected.  If  in  Marvin- 
dale  Helen  would  not  find  a  large  number  of  young 
people-who  are  far  better  entitled  to  the  term  '  best 
society'  than  hundreds  who  claim  it  in  New  York  I 
am  very  much  mistaken." 

"  I  would  be  sorry  to  take  Helen  anywhere  against 
her  will,"  said  Mrs.  Mason,  looking  at  the  daughter, 
who  seemed  to  be  deeply  interested  in  the  conver- 
sation. "  Where  would  you  rather  visit  this  sum- 
mer, dear;  at  Newport  or Marvindale?" 

"  My  dear  mamma,  you  should  not  consult  my 
wishes  at  all,"  said  Helen.  "  I  shall  be  glad  to  fol- 
low my  parents.  But  since  you  have  asked  me  I 
will  say  that  I  have  not  the  least  desire  to  go  to 
Newport  or  Saratoga,  and  that  nothing  on  earth 
would  give  me  more  pleasure  than  to  visit  our  dear 
relatives  in  Marvindale.  And,  mamma,  even  if  I 
had  arranged  to  go  somewhere  else  that  letter  from 
my  dear  Uncle  James  would  have  changed  my  mind 
at  once." 

"  That  settles  it,"  said  Mrs.  Mason.  "  But,  Helen, 
you  are  a  strange  child,  I  must  say.  You  know  John 
and  Maud  Farrington  talked  about  going  with  us 
to  Newport.  I  am  afraid  they  will  be  disappointed. 
Perhaps  they  will  be  pleased  to  accompany  us.  Your 
uncle  says  that  we  can  bring  friends,  and  it  would 
make  it  more  agreeable  for  you." 

"  Not  for  me,  dear  mamma,"  said   the  daughter. 


38  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

"  I  would  rather  be  free  with  my  Cousin  Hattie,  to 
go  and  come  where  and  when  we  pleased,  and  not 
be  tied  to  any  city  friends,  especially  those  of  the 
Farrington  stamp." 

"  Helen,  you  should  not  permit  yourself  to  speak 
like  that  of  one  of  the  first  families  in  the  city," 
said  the  mother,  with  some  feeling,  while  the  father 
indulged  in  well-pleased  laughter. 

"  Mary,"  said  he,  "  I  cannot,  for  my  life,  see  what 
you  find  in  the  Farringtons  to  admire.  They  are 
rich,  it  is  true,  and  they  make  quite  a  show.  Far- 
rington is  a  good  fellow  in  his  way.  His  wife  is 
proud  and  haughty.  Maud  is  much  like  her.  John 
is  a  silly,  conceited  dandy,  and  a  very  worthless 
member  of  society." 

"  Why,  my  dear  Hiram  !  What  has  come  over 
you  this  morning?"  said  his  wife.  "  I  never  heard 
you  talk  like  this  before." 

"  Well,  Mary,  to  tell  you  the  truth, ' '  was  the  reply, 
"  I  am  heartily  sick  of  hearing  inferior  and  worthless 
persons  pronounced  'the  best  society,'  simply  be- 
cause they  live  in  palaces  and  have  servants  in  liv- 
ery. I  don't  wish  to  have  Helen  fall  into  such  a 
delusion,  and  I  am  happy  to  know  that  she  is  not 
inclined  that  way.  If  John  and  Maud  Farrington 
desire  to  go  with  us,  by  all  means  let  them  come, 
and  if  you  will  not  get  more  than  enough  of  their 
society  before  we  return  I  shall  be  disappointed." 

Mrs.  Mason,  for  all  this,  was  not  displeased  with 
her  husband.  Even  when  he  opposed  her  in  some 
of  her  propositions  she  was  still  firm  in  the  opinion 
that  he  stood  nearer  perfection  than  any  other  man. 


A  Birthday-Party  and  an  Accident.          39 


CHAPTER  IV. 
A  BIRTHDAY-PARTY  AND  AN  ACCIDENT. 


sun  shone  brightly  in  a  cloudless  sky.  The 
day  had  arrived  in  which  the  inhabitants  of 
Marvindale  and  the  regions  about  were  deeply  inter- 
ested. There  were  exhibitions  in  painting  and 
drawing,  exercises  in  vocal  and  instrumental  music, 
recitations,  declamations,  original  essays  and  ora- 
tions from  a  large  graduating  class  composed  of 
young  ladies  and  gentlemen.  Among  the  specta- 
tors in  a  favorable  part  of  the  building  were  found 
our  friends  from  New  York,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiram 
Mason,  their  daughter,  and  a  young  gentleman  men- 
tioned in  the  last  chapter  who  had  concluded  that 
his  presence  would  greatly  add  to  the  comfort  and 
importance  of  the  company. 

To  Helen  the  exercises  in  all  their  features  were 
interesting.  She  listened  with  pleasure  and  aston- 
ishment to  superior  playing  by  young  ladies  brought 
up  from  their  infancy  in  the  country,  and  to  original 
essays  which  proved  that  their  authors  were  young 
maidens  possessing  cultured  minds.  She  gazed  on 
superior  oil-paintings  and  fine  pencil-drawings.  She 
listened  to  eloquent  declamations  and  talented  ora- 
tions ;  all  this  from  young  people  the  majority  of 
whom  had  never  seen  a  large  city.  She  compared 
these  performances  with  the  abilities  of  many  of 


4O  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

her  New  York  acquaintances,  who  formed  what  her 
mother  termed  "the  best  society,"  and  the  com- 
parison in  her  mind  was  any  thing  but  flattering  to 
her  gay  companions  of  the  metropolis.  The  class 
clothed  itself  with  honor.  Arthur  Trevor  took  the 
lead  and  stood  the  highest,  but  they  all  did  grandly, 
and  never  had  the  closing  exercises  given  better 
satisfaction. 

When  the  company  had  reached  the  spacious 
parlors  of  Judge  Mason  Helen  was  the  first  to 
express  her  feelings  touching  the  day's  doings,  and 
this  she  did  in  her  usual  warm  and  impressive 
style. 

"Why,  Cousin  Hattie,"  she  cried,  "I  am  per- 
fectly astonished  and  delighted  !  Every  thing  was 
splendid  !" 

"  I  am  really  glad,  Cousin  Helen,  that  you  have 
been  so  well  pleased,"  was  the  modest  reply.  "I 
had  some  fears  that  the  exercises  would  fail  to  meet 
your  expectations." 

"  O  Hattie !  they  were  far  beyond  what  I  ex- 
pected," was  the  reply. 

"  I  must  agree  with  Miss  Helen,  that  for  a 
country  exhibition  it  was  quite  creditable,"  said 
John  Farrington,  in  a  lofty,  patronizing  way. 

"  And  I  must  inform  Mr.  Farrington  that  his 
language  does  not  at  all  agree  with  mine,"  said 
Helen.  '  For  a  country  exhibition,'  indeed  !  John, 
those  exercises  would  have  been  a  credit  to  any 
academy  in  the  city  of  New  York.  Do  you  know 
of  one  young  lady  within  the  circle  of  your 
acquaintance  that  ever  appeared  t9  better  advan- 


A  Birthday-Party  and  an  Accident,          41 

tage  at  the  close  of  a  four-years'  course  than  did  a 
number  of  those  ladies  to-day  ?  Do  you  know  of 
one  young  man  of  twenty  years  in  your  set  that 
can  eclipse  in  talent,  deportment,  and  scholarship 
those  young  men  of  to-day,  especially  Arthur 
Trevor  ?" 

"Well,  really,"  answered  Mr.  Farrington,  with 
some  embarrassment,  "  come  to  think  it  over,  I 
don't  know  that  I  can." 

"  Then  why  use  the  language  '  for  a  country  ex- 
hibition ?'  "  asked  Helen.  "  I  think  you  had  better 
call  back  those  words." 

"  I  call  them  back,  Miss  Helen,"  said  the  van- 
quished John.  "  The  words  were  not  well  chosen." 

This  brief  colloquy,  and  especially  the  way  it 
ended,  pleased  well  the  company.  Even  Mrs.  Hiram 
Mason  enjoyed  the  easy  manner  in  which  her 
daughter  had  quitted  herself.  But  in  deference  to 
the  feelings  of  the  millionaire's  son  she  saw  fit  to 
say : 

"  Helen,  dear,  I  am  afraid  that  in  your  enthusiasm 
over  the  exercises  your  language  to  Mr.  Farrington 
was  not  as  gentle  as  it  ought  to  have  been." 

"  My  dear  mamma  will  remember  that  Mr. 
Farrington  and  myself  are  not  strangers  to  each 
other,"  said  Helen.  "There  is  no  danger  that  a 
little  plain  talk  will  give  offense;  is  there,  John?" 

"  Not  the  least  bit !"  said  John.  "  Mrs.  Mason, 
your  daughter's  words  are  all  right,  and  she  never 
stood  higher  in  my  estimation  than  she  does  this 
minute." 

This  bit  of  effusion  was  received  in  silence,  and 


42  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

it  was  plain  that  on  the  minds  of  all  present  it  left 
an  unfavorable  impression. 

In  a  few  days  after  this  Judge  Mason,  in  his 
usual  happy  way,  said  at  the  breakfast  table  :  "  In 
a  little  over  a  week  my  young  niece  here  will  reach 
the  seventeenth  anniversary  of  her  birthday.  If  in 
harmony  with  the  feelings  of  her  parents,  as  well  as 
her  own,  I  would  consider  it  a  very  great  pleasure, 
as  well  as  an  honor,  to  give  her  a  birthday-party. 
Nothing  would  please  our  young  people  better 
than  to  have  an  opportunity  to  show  their  respect 
for  one  who  a  few  days  ago  spoke  so  nobly  in  their 
praise." 

"  O  Uncle  James,"  cried  Helen,  with  her  face 
glowing,  V  how  kind  you  are  !  I  am  not  worthy  of 
such  particular  notice.  But  if  papa  and  mamma 
are  willing  I  am  sure  I  shall  be  delighted." 

"To  be  sure  we  are  willing,"  said  her  mother, 
"and  your  uncle  is  very  kind.  Of  course  the  com- 
pany will  be  select,  and  not  large." 

"  We  can  leave  all  that  to  the  superior  judgment  of 
this  family,"  said  her  husband.  "Any  company 
that  they  shall  see  fit  to  invite  will  be  select  enough 
for  us  and  an  honor  to  our  daughter." 

"Should  the  weather  be  agreeable,"  said  the 
judge,  "  we  shall  go  to  one  of  the  groves  on  the 
lake  shore.  The  young  people  will  enjoy  swings 
and  boating.  We  shall  not  be  able  to  confine  the 
company  to  any  exact  age,  but  my  sister  may  rest 
assured  that  all  of  them  will  be  highly  respectable ; 
not  in  point  of  wealth,  but  in  that  of  morals." 

This  was  said  so  kindly  that  Mrs.  Hiram  Mason 


A  Birthday- Party  and  an  Accident.          43 

in  conscience  could  find  no  fault ;  and  yet  she  felt 
_that  in  those  kind  accents  there  was  a  slight  reproof, 
and,  furthermore,  there  was  in  her  mind  a  degree  of 
conviction  that  it  was  deserved. 

The  day  arrived  and  the  weather  was  charming. 
The  preparation  was  perfect,  and  nothing  was  want- 
ing to  make  the  birthday-picnic  a  perfect  success. 
About  thirty  young  people  had  been  invited  from 
the  village  and  its  surroundings.  There  were  also 
a  few  married  persons,  particular  friends  of  Judge 
Mason's  family.  Helen  rendered  herself  highly 
agreeable  to  all.  She  was  lively  and  cheerful,  with 
a  happy  smile  for  each.  Never  before  had  she 
looked  so  lovely  in  the  sight  of  her  parents. 

From  the  judge's  residence  they  rode  to  the  grove 
in  a  number  of  carriages.  Helen's  mother  intended 
to  have  her  daughter  ride  with  herself  and  husband 
and  in  company  with  Mr.  Farrington.  But  in  a 
playful  mood,  as  the  young  metropolitan  stood  ready 
to  hand  her  into  the  carriage,  with  a  pleasant  laugh 
she  stepped  into  another  one,  and,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  her  father,  sat  by  the  side  of  Arthur 
Trevor. 

"  Helen,  darling,  this  is  your  carriage,"  said  the 
mother,  while  Farrington 's  countenance  denoted  a 
degree  of  displeasure. 

"  O  no,  mother  dear,"  said  the  girl ;  "  on  this  day 
you  must  permit  me  to  mingle  freely  with  my 
country  friends." 

"All  ready!"  cried  Judge  Mason,  and  the  for- 
ward carriages  moved,  while  Mr.  Farrington,  with  a 
disappointed  visage,  took  his  seat  by  the  side  of 


44  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

Mrs.  Mason,  and  in  a  short  time  the  company  ar- 
rived at  its  destination. 

The  facilities  for  enjoyment  were  all  that  could 
be  desired.  The  grove  was  enchanting,  and  the 
lake  mirrored  the  heavens  above  with  the  tall  trees 
that  grew  on  its  banks.  There  were  boats  in 
abundance,  and  many  of  the  young  men  from  their 
early  childhood  had  been  perfectly  at  home  in  the 
management  of  a  "skiff."  Helen  had  never  before 
experienced  such  a  perfection  of  social  pleasure, 
and  the  joy  of  her  heart  beamed  in  her  countenance. 
She  distributed  her  words  and  smiles  among  all,  and 
her  village  and  country  friends  were  charmed  with 
her  natural  and  spontaneous  kindness.  To  this  gen- 
eral enjoyment  there  was  one  exception.  John 
Farrington  was  not  happy.  He  was  respectfully 
treated  by  all,  but  he  was  not  a  center.  The  young 
people  were  too  much  bent  on  having  lively  enjoy- 
ment and  showing  their  respect  to  their  young  friend, 
the  queen  of  the  party,  to  lavish  attention  upon  a 
person  who  seemed  to  consider  himself  their  su- 
perior. 

For  some  time  Arthur  Trevor  had  noticed  that 
Farrington  looked  displeased,  and  it  gave  him  some 
uneasiness.  In  the  goodness  of  his  heart  he  greatly 
desired  to  make  his  friends  from  the  city  cheerful 
and  happy,  and,  volunteering  his  remarks  chiefly  to 
Miss  Helen,  he  said  : 

"  I  would  be  really  pleased,  Miss  Mason,  to  have 
Mr.  Farrington  join  us." 

"Then  by  all  means  ask  him,  Mr.  Trevor,"  said 
Helen,  with  a  pleasant  smile. 


A  Birthday-Party  and  an  Accident.          45 

"  Perhaps  an  invitation  from  yourself  personally 
would  be  more  acceptable,"  said  Arthur. 

"  On  this  occasion  there  is  no  necessity  for  such 
formality,"  said  Helen.  "An  invitation  from  you 
in  behalf  of  the  company  will  be  sufficient." 

So  Arthur  hastened  to  the  spot  where  the  young 
man  stood,  when  the  following  conversation  took 
place  : 

"  Mr.  Farrington,  you  are  respectfully  invited  to 
join  us  in  our  innocent  merry-making." 

"  Do  you  represent  any  one  besides  yourself?" 
asked  the  New  Yorker,  a  little  stiffly. 

"  You  are  invited  in  the  name  of  the  whole 
company.  That  was  my  instruction  from  Miss 
Mason." 

"  It  would  have  pleased  me  better  if  Miss  Mason 
had  come  herself." 

"  I  ventured  to  give  her  that  opinion  before  I 
started,  but  she  did  not  deem  it  necessary." 

"And  I  don't  deem  it  necessary  to  accept  this 
kind  of  invitation." 

"lam  afraid,"  said  Arthur,  "that  our  country 
ways  fail  to  give  you  pleasure.  Miss  Helen,  how- 
ever, seems  to  be  well  pleased." 

"So  I  see,"  said  the  young  man  ;  "Miss  Helen 
can  adapt  herself  to  any  kind  of  society." 

"  Of  course  you  mean  any  good  and  respectable 
society,"  said  Arthur,  feeling  somewhat  hurt ;  "  and 
so  can  any  young  person  who  is  endowed  with  a 
fair  degree  of  amiability  and  common  sense.  Miss 
Helen  is  glad  to  join  in  any  society  selected  by 
Judge  Mason."  With  that  Trevor  left,  and  with  a 


46  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

slight  peculiar  smile  on  his  lips  he  rejoined  the 
company. 

"  And  John  does  not  come,  eh?"  said  Helen. 

"  Mr.  Farrington  does  not  accept  the  invitation." 
was  the  answer. 

"  Let  no  one  be  troubled  on  that  account,"  said 
the  young  beauty. 

Just  then  her  father  and  mother  were  slowly  pass- 
ing by.  Helen  rushed  up  to  them,  warmly  embraced 
them,  and  cried  out, 

"  Is  not-  this  most  delightful  ?  I  never  was  so 
happy  in  all  my  life  !" 

"But  why  is  not  Mr.  Farrington  with  you,  my 
dear?"  asked  the  mother. 

"  I  cannot  tell  his  reason,  mamma,"  said  Helen  ; 
"  he  has  been  politely  invited  to  join  with  us  and 
has  flatly  refused." 

"  I  will  go  and  see  John  myself,"  said  the  mother  ; 
"  I  think  I  can  persuade  him  to  join  you." 

"  If  the  young  gentleman  cannot  consent  to  be 
one  of  this  company  without  being  persuaded,  let 
him  keep  away,"  said  the  father  in  a  tone  which 
the  mother  well  understood.  "  Now,  darling,  go  and 
join  your  young  friends,  and  be  as  happy  as  you 
possibly  can."  And  off  the  maiden  ran,  with  a 
heart  full  of  genuine  pleasure. 

The  judge,  being  one  of  the  politest  men  in  the 
world,  treated  Farrington  with  every  mark  of  re- 
spect, and  although  he  thought  it  strange  that  he 
stood  aloof  from  the  young  people,  he  said  not  a 
word  which  would  indicate  that  he  had  even  no- 
ticed it. 


A  Birthday-Party  and  an  Accident.          47 

"  We  have  a  pleasant  retreat  here,  Mr.  Farring- 
ton,"  said  the  judge. 

"Most  lovely!"  was  the  answer,  and  desiring  to 
throw  some  covering  over  his  sulkiness  he  added, 
"  For  an  hour  I  have  been  admiring  the  bewitching 
scenery." 

Soon,  the  young  friends  in  a  merry  procession 
were  seen  approaching  the  spot  where  the  elderly 
people  sat.  Helen's  face  beamed  with  joy.  Her 
maiden  associates  had  beautifully  decorated  her  brow 
with  choice  roses  and  flowers.  They  came  on, 
waving  bright  little  banners,  and  singing  : 

"  In  friendship  sweet  and  joy  complete, 
From  city,  hill  and  dale,  we  meet ; 

H 

We  deck  her  brow  with  roses  gay, 
On  this  her  joyous  natal  day. 

"  From  yonder  city  great  and  grand, 
She  comes  and  joins  our  rural  band  ; 
With  banners  gay  we  join  the  lay 
On  Helen  Mason's  natal  day. 

"  May  angels  bright  in  robes  of  light, 
Watch  o'er  our  friend  from  morn  till  night ; 
And  thus  we  sing,  and  honors  pay 
To  Helen  on  her  natal  day." 

This  feature  was  a  surprise,  even  to  Judge  Mason, 
and  it  pleased  him  wonderfully.  The  parents  were 
affected  to  joyous  tears.  When  the  singing  ended 
Helen  ran  to  her  uncle  and  warmly  embraced  him. 

"  O  my  dear  Uncle  James,  how  can  I  ever  thank 
you  enough  for  this  day's  enjoyment?  And  how 
can  I  ever  sufficiently  thank  these  my  young  friends 
for  what  they  have  done  ?" 


48  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

"  I  am  a  thousand  times  rewarded,  my  dear  niece, 
by  the  happy  expression  of  your  countenance," 
said  the  judge. 

%  "  And  1  will  venture  to  answer  for  the  young  peo- 
ple, including  myself,"  said  Arthur  Trevor,  "that 
to  us  the  day  has  been  one  of  unmixed  pleasure,  and 
that  we  esteem  it  an  honor  to  be  permitted  to  join 
in  this  delightful  anniversary." 

"  And  I  will  say  in  behalf  of  Mrs.  Mason  and 
myself,"  said  the  New  York  merchant,  "  that  we 
thank  you  all  for  the  manner  in  which  you  have 
treated  our  daughter.  From  what  I  saw  at  your 
closing  exercises  the  other  day,  and  from  what  I 
have  witnessed  on  the  present  occasion,  I  am  well 
convinced  that  refinement  and  intelligence  are 
plants  that  thrive  most  beautifully  in  villages  and 
country  towns.  Providence  has  cast  my  lot  in  the 
metropolis,  and  I  have  prospered  in  business;  but 
the  remembrance  of  my  country  life  and  the  society 
of  my  early  days  grow  dearer  to  me  every  day  I  live. 
I  am  heartily  glad  to  enjoy  your  society  even  for  a 
short  time.  As  a  family  we  shall  go  home  greatly 
profited  by  this  visit  to  Marvindale.  Should  you 
come  to  New  York,  call  and  see  us ;  and  I  will  as- 
sure you  that  you  will  find  the  same  smile  on  our 
faces  at  our  residence  in  the  city  as  you  do  to-day 
on  the  shores  of  this  charming  lake." 

This  brief  address  was  loudly  cheered.  Farring- 
ton  saw  that  he  had  missed  his  opportunity.  He 
knew  that  any  complimentary  remarks  from  him 
after  his  treatment  of  the  young  company  would  not 
answer,  and  for  once  he  wisely  held  his  peace. 


A  Birthday-Party  and  an  Accident.          49 

Attending  this  party  there  was  a  Mrs.  Armstrong, 
a  relative  of  Mrs.  Judge  Mason.  She  was  a  young 
widow  whose  husband  had  been  dead  about  four 
years.  She  had  with  her  an  only  child,  a  little  girl 
six  years  of  age.  Lily  was  charming,  and  lively  in 
her  temperament.  Throughout  the  day  she  had 
been  an  object  of  interest,  and  her  brilliant  childish 
remarks  drew  the  attention  of  all. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and 
some  eight  or  ten  of  the  young  people,  with  a  num- 
ber of  others,  were  standing  near  a  bridge  crossing  a 
deep  stream  which  a  few  rods  below  emptied  into  the 
lake.  Mrs.  Armstrong  and  Lil^were  also  there. 
The  child  in  merry  glee  ran  hither  and  thither  and 
was  in  the  very  height  of  enjoyment ;  now  in  the 
bushes,  then  on  the  green  grass,  again  on  the  bridge. 
She  was  perfectly  fearless,  and  her  mother  during 
the  day  had  often  warned  her  against  going  too  near 
the  lake  embankment.  The  little  one,  on  a  full  run, 
had  crossed  and  recrossed  the  bridge  several  times, 
and  no  one  thought  that  she  would  place  herself  in 
any  dangerous  position.  When  no  eye  happened  to 
see  her  she  partially  climbed  the  railing  of  the  bridge, 
stooped  over,  lost  her  balance,  and  fell  into  the 
deep  waters  below.  In  falling  the  child  screamed, 
and  her  cry  was  answered  by  a  loud  wild  wail  from 
the  whole  company.  They  ran  in  frantic  terror 
and  cried  for  help.  Not  far  »way  Arthur  Trevor, 
with  Helen  and  some  others,  stood.  The  cry  brought 
him  to  the  spot  in  a  few  seconds.  The  child  was 
struggling  in  the  water  and  drifting  into  the  lake. 

To  throw  off  his  shoes,  coat,  and  vest,  was  but  the 
4 


5o  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

work  of  a  moment.  He  ran  down  the  embankment, 
plunged  into  the  water,  and  swam  for  the  current. 
Lily  by  this  time  had  sunk,  but  Arthur  well  knew 
that  she  would  come  up — where,  he  was  not  so  sure. 
On  the  shore  among  the  ladies  there  was  a  contin- 
ued wail  of  weeping,  while  the  swimmer  kept  a 
sharp  look  for  the  appearance  of  the  child.  Fortu- 
nately her  little  struggling  form  reached  the  surface 
close  by.  A  few  bold  strokes,  and  Lily  was  saved. 
Then  on  the  shore  the  weeping  was  converted  into 
a  shout  of  thanksgiving.  Arthur,  with  his  charge, 
did  not  have  to  swim  ashore,  for  another  young  man 
promptly  reached  him  with  a  boat,  and  they  were 
soon  landed.  The  child,  owing  to  the  short  time 
she  had  been  in  the  water,  was  soon  restored  and 
tenderly  cared  for. 

The  gratitude  of  the  mother  cannot  well  be  ex- 
pressed. She  fell  on  her  knees,  clasped  her  hands, 
looked  up, and  cried,"  I  thank  thee,  O  myheavenly 
Father,  for  restoring  to  me  my  only  precious  dar- 
ling!" She  rose,  and  with  a  countenance  that  can- 
not be  described  cried,  "  Where  is  he  ?  O,  where  is 
he?"  She  saw  Arthur,  ran  up  to  him,  and  silently 
kissed  his  cheek.  There  were  many  others  present 
that  would  have  gladly  done  the  same,  but  by  a 
process  of  self-denial  they  did  not  obey  the  impulse. 
His  praise  was  on  every  tongue,  and  the  city  Ma- 
sons were  loud  in  their  admiration  of  his  noble  act. 

"  This  is  in  keeping  with  his  whole  movement," 
said  Judge  Mason  to  his  brother's  wife.  "  Every 
few  days  we  hear  something  to  his  credit.  He  is  an 
honor  to  his  mother  and  an  ornament  in  society." 


A  Birthday-Party  and  an  Accident.          51 

"  I  believe  you,  brother,"  said  Mrs.  Mason,  with  a 
tear  in  her  eye.  "  How  he  plunged  into  the  water 
from  that  high  embankment,  and  how  nobly  he  ac- 
complished his  purpose  !  I  shall  not  forget  the  scene 
as  long  as  I  live." 

John  Farrington,  who  had  wandered  away  to 
nurse  his  sulkiness,  now  returned,  and  was  aston- 
ished to  see  on  the  countenance  of  Mrs.  Hiram  Ma- 
son signs  of  deep  feeling. 

"  O,  Mr.  Farrington,"  she  cried,  "we  have  had 
such  a  time  in  your  absence !  Little  Lily  Arm- 
strong fell  into  the  river  from  the  bridge,  and  was 
carried  by  the  current  toward  the  lake.  And  you 
should  have  seen  Mr.  Trevor's  grand  plunge  into  the 
river  to  save  the  drowning  darling — which  he  did ! 
O  it  was  noble!" 

"  To  those  who  had  never  witnessed  diving  or 
plunging  I  dare  say  the  sight  was  very  interesting," 
said  Mr.  John  Farrington;  "but  to  me,  after  hav- 
ing seen  some  of  the  finest  exhibitions  in  diving, 
Mr.  Trevor's  exploit  would  have  been  a  very  tame 
affair." 

Mrs.  Mason  looked  at  him  in  perfect  astonish- 
ment, and  for  the  first  time  she  utterly  despised 
him.  She  made  no  reply.  Her  daughter,  however, 
with  suppressed  indignation  answered  : 

"  So,  then,  we  are  to  understand  that  in  your  esti- 
mation the  sight  of  a  brave  young  man  who  at  a 
moment's  warning  plunges  into  the  stream  from  a 
high  embankment  and  saves  the  life  of  a  little  girl 
that  has  already  sunk,  and  restores  her  to  her 
almost  frantic  mother  amid  the  joyful  shouts  of  the 


52  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash, 

spectators,  is  a  very  tame  affair  compared  with  the 
sight  of  a  few  worthless  fellows  that  dive  for  the 
amusement  of  the  crowd,  from  whom  they  get  a  few 
pennies.  Surely  there  is  no  accounting  for  taste !" 

"  But  I  thought  your  mother  referred  to  the  sim- 
ple plunging,"  said  the  rebuked  dandy,  getting  him- 
self still  deeper  in  trouble. 

"Ah!  now  I  understand,"  said  Helen;  "you 
thought  that  mamma  was  excited  over  the  beauty 
of  the  plunge,  and  not  over  the  saving  of  the  child." 
And  with  a  peculiar  smile,  which  the  young  man 
did  not  enjoy,  she  joined  her  young  companions. 

About  four  in  the  afternoon  it  was  deemed  ad- 
visable to  retire  from  the  grove.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  John  Farrington  all  had  been  greatly  de- 
lighted. The  guests,  with  their  friends,  returned  to 
the  village  in  the  same  order  as  they  came  and 
scattered  to  their  various  places  of  abode. 


A  Methodist  Meeting.  53 


CHAPTER    V. 
A  METHODIST  MEETING,  AND  WHAT  THEY  THOUGHT  OF  IT. 

IT  was  Saturday  afternoon,  at  the  tea-table,  and 
the  conversation  turned  upon  the  religious  serv- 
ices in  the  village  on  the  morrow.  The  guests  from 
the  city  had  spent  one  Sabbath  in  Marvindale,  and 
on  that  day  there  were  no  public  services  in  the 
Methodist  church,  the  minister  having  been  called 
away.  Rev.  James  Bunting  had  now  returned,  and 
would  officiate  on  the  Sabbath  and  administer  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

"  We  have  a  most  excellent  minister  ;  at  least 
so  we  think,"  said  Mrs.  James  Mason.  "  He  is 
thoroughly  devoted  to  his  pastoral  work  and  very 
able  in  the  pulpit.  The  church  is  in  a  far  better 
spiritual  condition  than  it  has  been  for  many  years." 

"  We  never  go  to  a  Methodist  meeting,"  said 
Mrs.  Hiram  Mason.  "  We  shall  go  to-morrow, 
however.  It  will  be  quite  a  novelty." 

"  It  strikes  me,  my  dear,  that  '  novelty  '  is  not 
exactly  the  proper  word  to  use  in  regard  to  relig- 
ious worship,"  said  her  husband. 

"  Sister  meant  no  more  than  that  the  mode  of 
worship  would  be  somewhat  different  from  that  of 
her  own  Church,"  said  Mrs.  James  Mason.  "  I 
think,  however,  she  will  forget  all  about  the  novelty 
when  she  hears  Mr.  Bunting." 


54  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

"It  can't  be  possible  that  this  village  minister 
can  surpass  in  eloquence  our  own  Dr.  Darling," 
said  the  New  York  lady.  "  We  are  charmed  with 
his  preaching  every  Sabbath." 

"  I  cannot  say  as  much  for  our  minister,"  was 
the  reply.  "  Instead  of  charming  us  with  eloquence 
his  terrible  earnestness  often  makes  us  tremble. 
Like  the  prophet  of  old,  he  shows  '  the  house  of 
Israel  their  transgression'  and  pronounces  a  woe 
upon  those  '  who  are  at  ease  in  Zion.'  ' 

"For  my  part,"  said  Mrs.  Hiram  Mason,  "I 
don't  fancy  such  preaching.  Do  you,  husband?" 

"I  cannot  say  that  I  do,  Mary,"  said  her  hus- 
band, with  a  smile.  "  We  are  not  apt  to  fancy  any 
preaching  that  rebukes  us  for  our  sins  and  short-com- 
ings. But  it  is  not  always  the  preaching  we  fancy 
that  will  do  us  good.  You  say  we  are  charmed 
with  Dr.  Darling's  preaching.  But  what  good  does 
it  accomplish  ?  Does  it  lead  any  one  to  true  repent- 
ance and  to  cry  for  mercy?" 

"  I  am  sure  that  a  large  number  have  united  with 
the  church  under  his  ministry,"  answered  his  wife. 

"  I  admit  that,"  said  her  still  smiling  husband. 
"  But  does  their  church  membership  interfere  in 
the  least  with  their  former  behavior?  Just  think 
them  over.  Do  they  not  attend  dances,  theaters, 
comic  exhibitions,  play  cards,  and  drink  wine  just 
exactly  as  they  did  before,  while  the  prayer-meet- 
ing is  turned  over  to  a  mere  handful  of  old  persons? 
It  strikes  me  that  it  is  high  time  for  that  church 
and  congregation  to  hear  preaching  that  they  would 
not  fancy." 


A  Methodist  Meeting.  55 

''I  know  where  a  pretty  big  share  of  Mr.  Darling's 
seven  thousand  dollars  a  year  comes  from,"  said 
Mr.  Farrington,  who  had  listened  with  some  interest 
to  the  conversation.  "  Our  family  would  never  sub- 
mit to  any  attack  on  dancing,  theaters,  card-playing, 
and  respectable  wine-drinking.  There  is  no  danger 
that  Dr.  Darling  will  be  such  a  fool  as  to  indulge  in 
any  such  Methodist  nonsense." 

"  I  would  respectfully  remind  Mr.  Farrington  that 
we  are  the  guests  of  a  Methodist  family,  and  that  we 
are  sitting  at  a  Methodist  table,"  said  Helen. 

"Ah,  surely,"  said  John;  "I  might  have  chosen 
different  words." 

Mr.  Farrington 's  unmannerly  blunder  put  a  stop 
to  the  conversation  in  that  line,  and,  by  the  in- 
genuity of  Judge  Mason,  it  was  easily  diverted  to 
another  channel,  and  every  thing  was  pleasant. 

In  good  season  on  Sabbath  morning  the  judge's 
family,  with  their  guests,  were  seated  in  the  large 
and  beautiful  church,  which  was  well  filled.  The 
services  were  opened  by  a  most  attractive  reading 
of  Isaiah  liii.  Then  was  given  out  the  familiar 

hymn  : 

"All  hail,  the  power  of  Jesus'  name," 

and  soon  the  thrilling  melody  of  old  "  Coronation" 
filled  the  house.  This  was  followed  by  a  most 
earnest  and  impressive  prayer,  in  which  the  man  of 
God  seemed  to  plead  as  in  the  immediate  presence 
of  the  Almighty.  Another  hymn  was  given  out : 

"  Forever  here  my  rest  shall  be," 
and  the  pathetic  "Avon,"  in  melting  strains,  was 


56  Gold,    Tinsel  and  Trash. 

sung  by  hundreds  of  sweet  voices.  The  text  was 
announced:  "Therefore,  if  any  man  be  in  Christ, 
he  is  a  new  creature :  old  things  have  passed  away  ; 
behold,  all  things  are  become  new."  2  Cor.  5,  17. 
A  very  brief  synopsis  is  given  : 

It  is  evident  from  the  text  that  all  men  are  not  in 
Christ.  There  are  thousands  of  regular  members  in 
evangelical  churches  throughout  the  land  who  are  not 
in  Christ,  and  never  have  been.  If  we  are  in  Christ 
in  the  sense  of  the  text  we  have  been  "justified  by 
faith,"  experienced  a  genuine  change  of  heart, 
"transformed  by  the  renewing  of  our  minds,"  "be- 
gotten again  unto  a  lively  hope,"  "  have  peace  with 
God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  We  are 
"  new  creatures."  We  possess  the  mind  and 
nature  of  the  Saviour,  and  our  spiritual  hearts 
beat  in  happy  unison  with  the  great  heart  of  the 
Redeemer.  "Old  things  have  passed  away." 
Every  thing  that  is  not  in  harmony  with  the  mind 
of  Christ  is  abandoned,  and  the  whole  bent  of  the 
soul  is  heavenward.  This  is  the  New  Testament 
view  of  those  who  are  in  Christ.  And  I  rejoice  to 
know  that  such  Christians  are  found  by  the  tens  of 
thousands.  They  come  out  from  the  world,  deny 
themselves,  take  up  their  cross,  and  follow  their 
Lord  and  Master.  But  I  am  sorry  to  confess  that 
there  are  thousands  in  the  churches  who  make  a 
profession  of  love  to  Christ  who  prove  by  their 
behavior  that  they  are  "  lovers  of  pleasure  more 
than  lovers  of  God." 

"  Brethren  and  sisters,  '  the  world  will  love  its 
own,'  and  we  are  not  at  all  astonished  when  we 


A  Methodist  Meeting.  57 

see  the  non-professing  throng  rushing  after  vanity, 

"  '  And  vainly  strive  with  earthly  toys 
To  fill  an  empty  mind.' 

"  But  the  situation  becomes  more  alarming  when 
among  these  are  found  thousands  who  profess  to 
be  the  disciples  of  the  humble  Nazarene  and 
members  of  his  visible  Church.  Many  of  these  are 
leaders  in  worldly  gayety,  fashionable  dances,  and 
regular  patrons  of  theaters.  They  are  in  the 
Church,  but  we  fail  to  find  in  them  a  single  element 
of  vital  godliness. 

"  Let  no  one  think  that  I  am  drawing  upon  my 
imagination  in  order  to  make  a  picture.  I  am 
dwelling  upon  sorrowful  and  sad  truths  !  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  non-professors  stand  aloof  from  the 
cause  of  Christ  when  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  are  found  rushing  into  the  most  frivolous 
wordly  gatherings  ? 

"  But  here  let  me  say,  with  St.  Paul,  '  Beloved,  we 
are' persuaded  better  things  of  you.'  Although  I 
thus  speak  to  the  glory  of  God  let  it  be  known  that 
the  members  of  my  charge  have  come  up  to  a 
high  degree  of  spirituality,  and  they  look  upon 
these  carnal  pleasures  as  worthless  trash.  With  the 
poet  they  can  sing, 

'"Vain,  delusive  world,  adieu.' 

"At  the  communion  to-day  we  expect  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Spirit  of  burning,  come  ! 
Let  us  now  sing, 

"  '  When  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross 

On  which  the  Prince  of  glory  died.'  " 


58  Gold,   Tinsel  and  TrasJi. 

The  familiar  tones  of  "  Rockingham"  were  now 
heard,  and  the  audience  "  filled  his  courts  with 
sounding  praise." 

The  minister  said  that  all  members  in  good 
standing  in  other  evangelical  Churches  were  cor- 
dially invited  to  the  table  of  the  Lord. 

The  sacrament  season  was  deeply  affecting.  God 
was  in  his  holy  temple !  A  hallowed  spiritual  at- 
mosphere filled  the  sanctuary.  Heaven  seemed 
very  near,  "and  glory  crowned  the  mercy-seat." 
It  was  a  season  long  to  be  remembered,  an  exhibi- 
tion on  a  small  scale  of  the  raptures  of  the  upper 
sanctuary. 

The  friends  from  the  city  remained  until  the  com- 
munion was  over,  and  the  Mason  family  were  deeply 
interested.  Mrs.  James  Mason  asked  her  sister  to 
go  with  her  to  the  table.  She  shook  her  head,  but 
her  countenance  denoted  nothing  in  the  shape  of 
indifference  or  displeasure.  On  the  contrary,  there 
were  tears  in  her  eyes  and  her  lips  quivered. 

Soon  after  returning  from  the  church  the  com- 
pany, with  the  exception  of  Farrington,  was  seated 
in  the  parlor,  when  Helen,  in  the  fullness  of  her 
young  heart,  broke  out : 

"O,  my  dear  Auntie  Mason,  your  minister  is 
wonderful !  I  never  had  such  feelings  in  all  my 
life  !  I  shall  remember  that  meeting  as  long  as  I 
live !" 

"  I  trust,  my  dear,  that  you  will  sweetly  remem- 
ber it  after  you  have  passed  away  from  the  scenes  of 
earth,"  said  her  aunt. 

"  Every  word  he  said  in  regard  to  pleasure-seek- 


A  Methodist  Meeting.  59 

ing  professors  of  religion  was  true.  The  members 
of  our  own  church  in  the  city  are  living  proof  of  the 
correctness  of  what  he  said.  Now,  mamma,  dear, 
is  not  that  so  ?" 

"  It  is  so,  my  darling,"  said  the  mother  in  a  low 
voice  that  was  not  quite  steady.  "  Thanks  to  your 
father,  I  have  not  indulged  in  those  things  myself, 
but  I  have  justified  them  in  others.  I  am  free  to 
confess  that  the  last  two  hours  have  produced  a 
wonderful  change  in  my  mind.  I  only  wish  that  all 
the  members  of  our  church  had  heard  what  the  min- 
ister said  and  had  witnessed  the  whole  of  the  impres- 
sive service." 

"  Mamma,  I  have  longed  to  be  a  Christian  for  a 
long  time,  and  I  have  tried  to  pray  in  secret.  But 
I  knew  that  I  could  have  no  spiritual  enjoyment  in 
a  church  where  nearly  all  the  young  are  almost 
wholly  given  up  to  worldly  pleasure." 

The  father  was  deeply  and  favorably  affected  by 
the  words  of  his  wife  and  daughter.  Turning  to 
his  brother  he  said  : 

"  James,  there  seems  to  have  been  a  special  prov- 
idence in  that  kind  letter  aS  invitation  you  sent  us. 
I  never  in  my  life  so  much  desired  to  be  a  true  Chris- 
tian as  I  did  this  morning  under  your  minister's 
preaching." 

"  Hiram,  you  are  'not  far  from  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,'"  said  th  >  >udge,  with  his  face  glowing 
with  happiness.  "  God  is  preparing  you  and  your 
family  for  a  grand  mission,  and  in  his  own  good  time 
he  will  tell  you  what  it  is." 

Here  Mr.  Farrington   joined  the  company,  arid, 


60  Gold,    Tinsel  and  Trash. 

not  knowing  the  situation,  volunteered  one  of  his 
blundering  and  offensive  remarks.  In  all  probability 
he  had  bestowed  upon  his  first  sentence  some  labor, 
and  expected  it  would  produce  an  effect. 

"  Well,"  said  he  in  a  pompous  way,  "  this  morn-' 
ing  we  have  had  a  clear  demonstration  of  the  won- 
derful effect  of  animal  magnetism." 

"  And  were  you  one  of  the  animals  magnetized, 
Mr.  Farrington?"  asked  Helen. 

"  I  should  think  not,"  said  John,  with  a  touch  of 
resentment.  "  It  requires  but  a  fair  degree  of  cult- 
ure and  intelligence  to  be  proof  against  that  kind 
of  preaching." 

"  I  see,"  said  Helen.  "  You  have  been  protected 
from  the  minister's  animal  magnetism  by  your  cult- 
ure and  intelligence.  Papa,  mamma,  and  myself, 
have  been  wonderfully  affected  by  his  preaching. 
According  to  that,  it  must  be  owing  to  our  lack  of 
culture  and  intelligence." 

"  Miss  Helen,  I  think  you  are  indulging  in  a  joke," 
said  John. 

"  I  am  in  sober  earnest,"  said  Helen. 

"I  am  very  much  astonished,"  said  Farrington. 
"  Had  I  known,  my  language  would  have  been 
somewhat  different.  I  give  you  all  credit  for  cult- 
ure and  intelligence." 

"  And  still  we  were  not  protected  from  the  influ- 
ence of  the  sermon,"  said  Hiram  Mason,  with  a 
peculiar  smile.  "  Mr.  Farrington,  please  explain." 

Just  then  lunch  was  announced,  and  to  Mr.  Far- 
rington's  great  relief  he  was  excused  from  the  un- 
pleasant task  of  harmonizing  contradictions.  Soon 


A  Methodist  Meeting.  6 1 

he  was  thoroughly  engaged  in  something  for  which 
he  was  far  better  qualified  than  for  the  discussion 
of  philosophical  points. 

On  Sabbath  evening  again  the  guests  attended 
service  at  the  same  church.  First  they  went  into 
the  prayer-meeting  held  in  the  large  session-room, 
which  was  well  filled.  The  meeting  was  conducted 
by  the  minister.  The  singing  was  grand  and  inspir- 
ing and  the  prayers  earnest  and  reverential.  Several 
ladies  led  in  vocal  prayer.  This  Helen  had  never 
witnessed  before.  Then  came  a  season  of  speaking, 
in  which  a  large  number  took  a  part.  Our  three 
friends  were  deeply  interested  in  the  testimonies 
they  heard,  and  astonished  at  the  intelligent  man- 
ner in  which  the  speakers  expressed  themselves.  In 
this  meeting  Arthur  Trevor  took  an  active  but  a 
modest  part,  and  in  his  remarks  he  affectionately 
urged  his  young  friends  to  seek  without  delay  the 
salvation  of  their  souls. 

In  the  public  service  the  church  was  thronged, 
and  the  Gospel  was  "  in  the  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit  and  with  power."  The  closing  part  was 
deeply  pathetic,  and  the  meeting  ended  amid  a  halo 
of  glory. 

Our  friends  were  again  in  the  same  parlor,  and  they 
fondly  hoped  that  John  Farrington,  in  view  of  his 
humiliating  defeat  in  the  afternoon,  would  see  fit  at 
this  time  either  to  remain  silent  or  say  something 
that  would  be  moderately  sensible.  But  in  this 
they  were  disappointed.  Being  pretty  well  con- 
vinced that  hitherto  he  had  not  been  very  fortunate 
in  his  manner  of  expression,  he  was  pleased  with 


62  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

the  conviction  that  he  was  now  prepared  to  say 
something  that  would  please  the  company,  espe- 
cially the  family  of  Judge  Mason,  and  in  this  con- 
fidence he  proceeded: 

"  I  have  noticed  one  thing :  Marvindale  has  a 
fair  number  of  pretty  girls.  I  sat  in  a  very  good 
position  to  see  their  faces,  and  made  it  my  special 
business  this  morning  to  compare  several  of  them 
with  some  of  my  young  lady  acquaintances  in  the 
city,  and  I  must  say  that  in  beauty  of  countenance 
they  stood  the  test  well." 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  perfect  silence. 

"  It  was  exceedingly  fortunate  for  Mr.  Farrington 
that  Judge  Mason's  pew  was  so  favorable  to  his 
peculiar  mode  of  worship, "  said  Mrs.  Hiram  Mason, 
in  a  tone  of  voice  and  with  a  facial  expression  which 
John  had  never  heard  and  seen  before,  and  he  began 
to  fear  that  his  speech  had  not  proved  to  be  a 
success. 

"John,"  said  Helen,  "to-morrow,  under  your 
own  signature,  send  what  you  told  us  to  the  Herald 
and  Tribune.  Of  course  you  can  enlarge  on  the 
wonderful  physical  perfections  of  these  Marvindale 
beauties  that  took  your  whole  attention  during  the 
hour  of  worship.  And  you  might  say  that  this 
peculiar  devotion  of  yours  protected  you  from  a 
strong  current  of  animal  magnetism  issuing  from 
the  pulpit." 

"And  this  is  the  pay  I  get,  eh,  for  praising  up 
these  country  girls?"  said  John. 

"Mr.  Farrington,"  said  Mrs.  Mason,  "the  account 
you  have  given  us  of  the  working  of  your  mind  this 


A  Methodist  Meeting.  63 

morning  under  that  wonderful  sermon  was  shocking, 
and  you  deserve  a  rebuke." 

"We'll  now  attend  to  family  devotion,"  said 
Judge  Mason,  while  his  daughter  placed  before  him 
the  sacred  volume.  He  read  the  first  portion  of  the 
fifth  chapter  in  the  gospel  by  Matthew,  embracing 
the  beatitudes.  This  was  followed  by  a  most  earnest 
prayer,  closing  with  that  of  our  Lord,  in  which  the 
company  vocally  united. 


64  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

ANOTHER  BLUNDER  AND  AN  EXIT. 

AS  far  as  John  Farrington  was  susceptible  of  any 
thing  approaching  affection,  Helen  Mason,  more 
than  any  other  person,  had  touched  that  very  small 
department  of  his  heart.  She  was  fair,  intelligent, 
sparkling  in  conversation,  and  the  only  daughter  of 
a  wealthy  man.  What  more  could  he  ask  ?  Mrs. 
Mason,  touched,  and  that  not  very  lightly,  with  a 
fashionable  infirmity  which  is  anti-republican  as  well 
as  anti-Christian,  had  smiled  upon  this  young  son  of  a 
millionaire,  and  had  seen  in  him  very  satisfactory 
materials  for  a  son-in-law.  But  from  time  to  time  she 
had  witnessed  very  clear  evidences  that  her  daugh- 
ter was  not  favorably  inclined  in  that  direction.  He 
often  called  at  her  home,  and  Helen  always  treated 
him  with  familiar  kindness.  But  after  his  departure 
she  would  laugh  at  his  egregious  blunders  and  silly 
remarks,  to  the  amusement  of  her  father,  but  not  of 
her  mother. 

Some  plain  and  yet  very  kind  family  conversa- 
tions which  took  place  between  the  receiving  of 
Judge  Mason's  invitation-letter  and  their  leaving 
for  Marvindale  had  somewhat  moderated  Mrs.  Ma- 
son's opinion  touching  this  young  man  of  fortune. 
But  she  still  clung  with  considerable  tenacity  to 
those  pictures  of  Helen's  future  which  her  fancy 


Another  Blunder  and  an  Exit.  65 

had  drawn  in  such  brilliant  colors.  Her  candid 
judgment,  when  permitted  to  come  to  the  front, 
told  her  plainly  that  John  Farrington  was  not  a  per- 
son of  moral  worth,  and  that  he  was  deficient  in 
those  points  that  would  attract  persons  of  talent  and 
culture.  But  then  he  belonged  to  one  of  the  "  first 
families"  and  moved  in  the  higher  circles. 

In  several  of  the  conversations  alluded  to,  her 
husband  in  his  own  peculiar  way  had  analyzed  before 
her  what  she  insisted  on  calling  "  the  best  society," 
and  the  process  had  revealed  to  her  unwilling  eyes 
a  state  of  things  that  greatly  disturbed  her.  It 
seemed  to  be  a  candid  investigation.  But  could  it 
be  possible  that  that  which  for  generations  had 
been  called  "the  best  society"  was  three  fourths 
counterfeit,  and  so  much  of  the  counterfeit  in  the 
church  to  which  she  belonged  ?  She  had  great  con- 
fidence in  her  husband's  judgment,  but,  for  once, 
was  he  not  mistaken?  Mrs.  Mason  was  perplexed 
even  before  she  left  the  city. 

Hiram  Mason's  expressed  opinion  of  John  Far- 
rington's  mental  powers  caused  his  wife  to  pay 
closer  attention  to  the  sayings  and  behavior  of  the 
young  man,  and  to  her  great  mortification  she  found 
that  nearly  every  thing  he  said  justified  the  correct- 
ness of  her  husband's  words.  He  had  a  fair  com- 
mand of  language,  but  generally  it  clothed  superficial 
and  absurd  ideas;  and  thus  it  continued  until,  as 
the  reader  knows,  she  became  thoroughly  disgusted 
with  him. 

On  Monday  morning  at  the  breakfast-table  John 
appeared  a  little  gloomy  and  not  overwell  pleased. 


66  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

They  naturally  concluded  that  this  was  owing  to 
the  reprimand  of  the  night  before.  From  his  sullen 
looks,  however,  they  drew  the  consoling  thought 
that  now  at  least  he  would  confine  himself  to  listen- 
ing. But  this  was  not  so  to  be.  Knowing  that 
he  must  soon  return  he  deemed  it  prudent  to  offer 
a  few  remarks. 

"  I  was  just  thinking  of  what  that  young  Trevor 
said  in  the  prayer-meeting  last  evening.  His  words 
were  these :  *  Religion  is  profitable  unto  all 
things.' ' 

"John,"  said  Helen,  "Mr.  Trevor  did  not  use 
the  word  '  religion,'  but  'godliness.''  ' 

"  It  means  the  same  thing  exactly,"  said  John. 
"  And  what  rank  nonsense  that  is  !  I  wonder  if  god- 
liness is  profitable  to  thieving,  robbery,  forgery,  and 
a  dozen  other  things  I  could  name?  Godliness 
would  knock  every  one  of  them  in  the  head." 

"  And  would  not  that  be  profitable,  Mr.  Farring- 
ton  ?"  asked  Helen. 

The  question  was  not  exactly  a  logical  one,  and 
the  young  lady  knew  it,  but  it  was  enough  to  baffle 
John  on  the  spot. 

"  Why — let  me  see — profitable  ?  Yes,  I  suppose 
so,"  said  he.  "  I  wonder  if  that  is  what  the  fellow 
meant  ?" 

"No,  it  was  not,"  said  Helen.  "By  the  way, 
whom  do  you  mean  by  the  fellow ;  Arthur  Trevor, 
or  the  author  of  the  sentence?" 

"  I  mean  Trevor,  of  course.  I  was  not  aware 
that  he  was  quoting  from  an  author,"  said  John. 
"  And  who  was  the  author?" 


Another  Blunder  and  an  Exit.  67 

"  It  was  orginally  used  by  an  aged  clergyman  in  a 
letter  to  a  young  minister,"  said  Helen. 

"  But  that  doesn't  prove  that  the  sentence  is  cor- 
rect," was  his  reply.  "  Aged  ministers  often  write 
very  foolish  things." 

"  We  are  in  the  habit  of  believing  that  this  old 
gentleman's  writings  are  perfectly  correct,"  said 
Miss  Mason. 

"  Perhaps,  for  the  information  of  the  company, 
you  will  give  us  the  old  dominie's  name,  and  that 
of  the  young  chap  to  whom  he  wrote,"  said  John. 

"  For  your  own  personal  information  I'll  do  it," 
said  Helen,  with  a  smile.  "  The  elderly  gentleman 
was  St.  Paul.  The  young  minister  was  Timothy. 
You  will  find  the  'rank  nonsense'  in  his  first 
letter,  fourth  chapter  and  eighth  verse."  And  tak- 
ing a  small  Testament  from  her  pocket  she  read  : 
"  But  godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having 
promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which 
is  to  come." 

Let  not  the  reader  suppose  that  John  Farrington 
was  overwhelmed  with  confusion.  He  was  not  of 
that  make.  He  felt  somewhat  humiliated,  and  it 
grieved  him  to  have  his  ignorance  of  the  Scriptures 
so  exposed.  But  in  such  trials  he  was  always  won- 
derfully sustained  by  his  conceit,  and  so  he  simply 
said  : 

"  It  would  have  been  much  better  for  Trevor  to 
have  mentioned  the  name  of  his  author." 

During  that  morning  the  young  man  put  his 
things  in  order  ready  for  a  departure.  Before  leav- 
ing he  desired  to  have  a  few  words  with  Mrs.  Hiram 


68  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

Mason  and  daughter,  and  the  interview  was  soon 
granted. 

"  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  I  have  devoted  as  much 
of  my  time  to  this  stupid  place  as  I  can  afford.  I 
am  fully  determined  to  leave  on  the  afternoon  train, 
and  no  effort  or  persuasion  on  the  part  of  any  one 
can  change  my  mind,"  said  John. 

"  Of  course  you  will  act  in  this  matter  as  you  think 
best,"  said  Mrs.  Mason.  "I  know  enough  of  this 
family  to  assure  you  that  you  are  welcome  to  re- 
main here  as  long  as  you  can  make  it  agreeable  to 
yourself.  I  think,  however,  you  will  find  no  one 
that  will  be  inclined  to  persuade  you  to  remain 
longer  at  a  place  you  pronounce  '  stupid.'  ' 

"  My  rank  and  position,  as  belonging  to  one  of 
the  richest  families  in  the  city,  and  moving  in  the 
best  society,  entitle  me  to  a  little  more  notice  from 
these  country  fellows,  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I 
have  not  received  that  treatment  from  yourself  and 
daughter  which  I  had  a  right  to  expect.  I  cannot 
put  up  with  it,  and  I  am  going  to  join  my  friends 
at  Newport,  where  the  people  understand  good 
manners." 

"  Mr.  Farrington,"  said  Mrs.  Mason,  "  I  could 
easily  answer  your  insulting  language  in  terms  of 
severity,  but,  as  you  are  going  to  leave,  I  will  say 
no  more.  Come,  Helen,  my  dear,  we  have  had 
enough  of  this."  And  the  mother  and  daughter 
left  the  room. 

In  the  afternoon  a  carriage  came  after  John  and 
his  trunks,  and  in  a  very  stiff  and  pompous  manner 
he  bade  the  family  of  Judge  Mason  good-bye. 


Another  Blunder  and  an  Exit.  69 

On  the  following  Sabbath  at  the  Methodist  church 
there  were  very  clear  evidences  of  divine  power. 
Such  were  the  manifestations  of  God's  Spirit  in  his 
convincing  influences  during  the  evening  sermon 
that  the  minister,  instead  of  dismissing  the  congre- 
gation as  usual,  went  down  to  the  altar  and  said : 

"  I  am  well  convinced  that  there  are  many  in  this 
assembly  who  are  '  weary  and  heavy  laden'  and  de- 
sire spiritual  rest.  Under  this  conviction  I  cannot 
close  this  meeting  without  giving  such  persons  an 
invitation  to  come  forward  and  kneel  at  this  altar 
while  we  sing." 

A  large  number,  mostly  young  persons,  went  for- 
ward, and  the  space  was  nearly  filled  with  weeping 
penitents.  The  exercises  continued  for  an  hour. 
So  great  was  the  feeling  that  a  meeting  was  an- 
nounced for  Monday  evening.  The  revival  spread, 
and  continued  nightly  for  several  weeks,  and  some 
two  hundred  professed  conversion.  Among  these 
were  found  Hiram  Mason  and  his  daughter,  while 
the  mother,  who  was  already  a  church  member,  was 
'  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  her  mind.'  ' 

While  the  meeting  was  yet  in  progress  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Mason  were  under  the  necessity  of  leaving 
for  the  city,  while  Helen  was  permitted  to  remain 
a  little  longer. 

At  an  afternoon  visit  at  Mrs.  Trevor's  there  were 
together,  besides  the  family,  Judge  Mason,  wife, 
daughter,  and  niece.  Rev.  Mr.  Bunting  and  the 
revival  naturally  came  up  as  subjects  of  conversa- 
tion. 

"  In  a  few  weeks  he  must  leave  us  for  another 


70  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

field,"  said  Judge  Mason,  "and,  of  course,  in  one 
sense  we  all  feel  sorry." 

"  Is  not  that  an  unfortunate  feature  in  your 
church  government,  Uncle  James?"  asked  his 
niece. 

"Sometimes  it  has  that  appearance,"  was  the 
answer,  "  but,  in  reality,  I  think  it  one  of  the  most 
favorable  things  in  our  church  polity.  To  this,  in 
all  probability,  we  are  indebted  for  the  presence  of 
Brother  Bunting  among  us.  And  where  he  goes 
next,  the  people  will  have  no  reason  to  complain  of 
the  itinerancy." 

"  I  readily  see  those  points,"  said  Helen,  "  and  I 
thank  you  for  calling  my  attention  to  them." 

"  People  often  say,  '  It  is  too  bad  for  ministers 
to  leave  when  all  would  be  glad  to  have  them 
stay,'  "  said  the  judge.  "But  are  not  such  part- 
ings a  thousand  times  more  pleasant  to  the  min- 
isters than  if  the  people  were  glad  to  get  rid  of 
them  ?" 

"  They  are,  certainly,"  said  his  niece;  "and  to 
the  people  also." 

Just  then  an  expressman  called  at  the  door  with 
a  small  package  for  Arthur  Trevor.  Alice  took  it 
and  handed  it  to  her  brother  in  the  presence  of  the 
company,  and  said  : 

"  Arthur,  be  very  careful  in  the  unpacking,  for  it 
may  contain  some  dangerous  explosives." 

"  It  is  rather  small  for  that,"  said  the  brother, 
"  and  I  don't  think  of  anybody  at  this  moment- that 
would  wish  to  hurt  me." 

"  It  may  be  possible  that  Mark   Floyd  has  sent 


Another  Blunder  and  an  Exit.  71 

you  his  compliments,"  said  the  sister,  laughing. 
"  But  come,  let  us  see  what  you  have." 

The  brother,  with  some  embarrassment,  opened 
the  package,  and,  after  a  number  of  unfoldings,  he 
came  to  a  splendid  heavy  gold  watch  and  chain. 
On  the  casing  was  engraved  beautifully  the  follow- 
ing : 

"  Presented  by  Mrs.  A,  L.  Armstrong,  as  a  token 
of  gratitude,  to  Mr.  A  rthur  Trevor,  who  saved  her 
only  child  from  drowning'"' 

Arthur  was  deeply  affected  and  the  company 
greatly  rejoiced. 

"  In  this  case  it  has  been  more  blessed  to  give 
than  to  receive,"  said  the  judge. 

"  It  is  a  magnificent  present  !"    said  Mrs.  Mason. 

"And  it  comes  from  a  magnificent  lady, "  said 
Mrs.  Trevor. 

"  And  to  a  magnificent  gentleman,  why  don't  you 
say,  Hattie  ?"  said  Helen. 

"  But  my  city  cousin  was  too  quick  for  me,"  said 
Hattie. 

"  Let  us  call  it  magnificent  all  around,"  said 
Alice. 

The  afternoon  was  spent  most  cheerfully.  The 
Trevors  were  highly  pleased  with  Helen  .Mason, 
while  the  young  lady  was  delighted  with  the 
Trevors. 

It  was  the  first  evening  after  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mason  in  New  York,  and  soon  after  sup- 
per. The  servants  had  been  summoned  to  meet 
the  master  and  mistress  in  one  of  the  parlors. 


72  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

There  they  sat  in  mute  astonishment,  not  knowing 
why  they  were  thus  called  together,  some  of  them 
seriously  fearing  that  their  services  would  be  no 
longer  required.  They  were  not  kept  in  long  sus- 
pense, for  Mr.  Mason  spoke : 

"  I  have  called  you  together  for  household  wor- 
ship, and  to  inform  you  that  from  henceforth  this 
house  is  to  be  a  house  of  prayer.  At  this  hour  of 
evening,  daily,  at  the  ringing  of  the  bell,  you  are 
respectfully  requested  to  meet  at  this  room  for 
family  devotion.  I  trust  that  this  change  will  be 
pleasing  and  profitable  to  you  all.  In  time  of 
prayer  it  will  please  Mrs.  Mason,  Helen,  and  myself 
to  have  you  kneel." 

He  then  opened  the  sacred  book  and  read  in  an 
impressive  manner  the  91  st  psalm  :  "  He  that  dwell- 
eth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High  shall  abide 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty."  The  reading 
being  ended  they  all  reverently  knelt,  and  Hiram 
Mason  offered  unto  the  Lord  his  first  family  prayer. 
He  was  not  without  some  embarrassment.  It  was 
something  of  a  cross,  but  it  was  faithfully  taken 
up,  and  the  Lord  wonderfully  blessed  him.  The 
prayer  was  earnest  and  simple.  The  language  of 
the  tongue  was  the  expression  of  a  full  and  honest 
heart.  When  the  worship  was  over,  the  servants 
quietly  left,  to  attend  to  their  various  duties, 
greatly  astonished  and  well  pleased.  That  family 
altar  erected  that  evening  at  the  residence  of  Hiram 
Mason  was  never  taken  down. 


The  "Best  Society"  Analyzed.  73 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE  "  BEST  SOCIETY  "  ANALYZED. 

rpHE  next  evening,  soon  after  family  prayer, 
the  bell  rang,  and  Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Darling 
called,  and  were  ushered  into  the  parlor,  where 
they  were  soon  joined  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason. 
The  meeting,  of  course,  was  a  happy  one,  after  an 
absence  of  several  weeks. 

"  And  so  you  have  returned  in  excellent  health 
and  spirits,"  said  Dr.  Darling,  directing  his  remarks 
to  Mrs.  Mason.  "And  how  did  you  enjoy  your 
country  visit  ?  I  was  afraid  that  it  would  prove 
rather  dull." 

"And  so  was  I,  before  we  started,"  said  Mrs. 
Mason,  "  and  I  so  expressed  myself.  But  I  have 
been  happily  disappointed.  To  me,  as  well  as  to 
Mr.  Mason  and  Helen,  it  was  by  far  the  most  de- 
lightful and  profitable  summer  visit  we  ever  expe- 
rienced." 

"That  is  very  high  praise  indeed,"  said  Dr. 
Darling,  "  especially  when  it  comes  from  a  person 
who  has  visited  Newport  and  Saratoga.  What 
could  there  be  in  a  village  like  Marvindale  to  give 
you  such  exquisite  pleasure?" 

"  Several  things,"  said  Mrs.  Mason.  "  The  people 
there  are  so  good,  kind,  affectionate,  and  intelligent, 
that  they  won  my  heart  in  spite  of  my  former 


74  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

foolish  and  blind  views  in  regard  to  country  people. 
Then  came  Helen's  birthday-party,  which  her  uncle 
gave  her.  It  was  a  time  of  perfect  social  enjoy- 
ment. But  the  grand  feature  of  our  enjoyment 
was  of  a  spiritual  nature." 

"  That  must  be  a  new  feature  in  a  summer  resort, 
and  we  must  hear  all  about  it,"  said  Mrs.  Darling, 
casting  a  sly,  merry  glance  at  her  husband,  which 
Mrs.  Mason  noticed. 

She  then  rehearsed  to  the  minister  and  his  wife 
all  about  their  experience  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Bunting  and  his  most  wonderful  pulpit  powers,  the 
nature  of  his  sermons,  the  picture  he  drew  of  fash- 
ionable worldlings  in  the  Church,  the  sacrament 
scene,  the  prayer-meeting  in  the  evening,  the  spir- 
ituality and  devotion  of  the  young  people,  the  ser- 
mon on  the  following  Sabbath  evening,  the  altar 
service,  and  the  grand  revival  that  followed.  "  Mrs. 
Darling,"  she  said,  with  her  face  beaming,  "it  was 
wonderful  beyond  description.  During  those  meet- 
ings I  had  a  clear  view  of  myself  as  a  cold,  formal, 
fashionable  woman  of  the  world  in  the  Church, 
wholly  destitute  of  that  spirituality  that  insures 
'  fellowship  with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.'  Through  the  influence  of  those  meetings, 
which  my  proud  spirit  once  despised,  I  have  found 
genuine  consolation,  and  so  have  my  husband  and 
daughter." 

"  We  have  now  reached  a  point  where  I  must 
turn  you  over  to  Dr.  Darling,"  said  the  minister's 
wife  in  a  tone  that  strove  to  be  amiable.  "  I  will 
say,  however,  that  we  heard  something  of  this  from 


The  "Best  Society"  Analyzed.  75 

our  young  friend,  Mr.  Farrington.  We  thought 
that  perhaps  it  was  one  of  his  pleasant  jokes,  but 
your  own  story  corroborates  all  that  the  young 
man  said." 

"  As  far  as  I  can  judge,"  said  Dr.  Darling,  "  this 
Mr.  Bunting  is  one  of  those  sensational  preachers 
who  are  capable  of  producing  religious  excitements 
that  are  of  no  benefit  either  to  the  world  or  the 
Church." 

"  With  all  due  respect  to  your  judgment,  Dr. 
Darling,"-said  Mr.  Mason,  promptly,  "  I  must  say 
that  your  estimate  of  the  gentleman  is  wholly  erro- 
neous and  unjust.  He  is  a  quiet,  modest  man,  a 
profound  scholar,  and  deeply  spiritual.  He  moves 
the  people  by  his  entire  consecration  to  his  work, 
and  his  earnest,  eloquent  pleadings  with  those  who 
sit  under  his  ministry.  He  is  as  free  from  the 
sensational  element  as  was  Peter  at  the  house  of 
Cornelius." 

"  I  would  do  the  man  no  injustice,"  said  Dr. 
Darling.  "  I  dare  say  he  understands  the  class  of 
minds  he  has  to  deal  with.  Such  preaching  would 
utterly  fail  before  a  highly-cultivated  audience." 

"  I  think  you  are  mistaken  again  ;  worse  than  you 
were  before,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  with  a  peculiar  smile. 
"  From  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  he  stands  before  a 
highly-cultivated  audience,  very  much  more  so,  in 
my  opinion,  than  your  own  city  congregation." 

"Mr.  Mason,"  said  Dr.  Darling,  perfectly  aston- 
ished, "  I  think  you  are  laboring  under  a  sad  mis- 
take. Mr.  John  Farrington  assures  me  that  they 
are  lacking  in  refinement  and  culture." 


76  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

This  was  altogether  too  much  for  Mr.  Mason's 
gravity,  and  in  spite  of  an  effort  he  broke  out  into 
loud  laughter. 

"Pardon  this  rudeness,  doctor,"  he  said,  "  if  it 
must  come  under  that  name ;  but  that  was  a  little 
more  than  I  could  stand." 

"And  yet  I  fail  to  see  where,  in  what  I  said,  the 
laugh  comes  in,"  said  the  minister,  who  was  not 
easily  offended. 

"I  will  tell  you,"  said  Mr.  Mason.  "The  au- 
thority you  produced  for  believing  that  the  Marvin- 
dale  people  lacked  in  refinement  and  culture  seemed 
to  me  as  highly  comical.  A  young  man  that  is 
notoriously  deficient  in  those  traits,  and  who  makes 
himself  detestable  by  his  ignorance  and  lack  of 
good  manners,  is  hardly  the  right  person  to  sit  in 
judgment  on  the  refinement  and  culture  of  a  com- 
munity." 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  Mr.  Farrington  was  defi- 
cient on  those  points,"  said  the  pastor.  "  I  have 
often  met  him  at  evening  parties,  and  from  the 
society  in  which  he  mingles  I  took  it  for  granted 
that  he  was  on  a  par  with  his  fellows." 

"  We  know,  my  dear,  that  Mr.  Farrington  is  not 
what  you  may  call  brilliant,"  said  Mrs.  Darling. 
"  But  then,  as  long  as  he  moves  in  the  best  society 
he  must  be  respected  as  such." 

"  I  have  had  a  good  deal  to  say  for  years  about 
'  the  best  society,'  "  said  Mrs.  Mason.  "  I  now  look 
upon  the  term  as  it  is  used,  as  a  sham  and  a  cheat. 
I  confess  that  I  was  a  part  of  that  cheat  myself. 
What  is  there  in  what  is  called  in  this  city  '  the  best 


The  "Best  Society"  Analyzed.  77 

society  that  entitles  it  to  that  superlative  distinc- 
tion? Is  it  a  high  grade  of  morality,  amiability, 
intelligence,  and  a  hearty  enlistment  in  all  measures 
of  moral  reform  ?  Not  at  all.  What  is  called  '  the 
best  society'  abounds  in  frivolous  characters  given 
up  to  dress,  dances,  and  theaters.  Now,  in  all  can- 
dor, Mrs.  Darling,  why  should  such  a  society  be 
called  'the  best?'  " 

"  But  you  should  remember,  Mrs.  Mason,  that  in 
this  society  there  is  a  large  number  of  church  mem- 
bers," said  Mrs.  Darling. 

"I  know  there  is,"  was  the  answer;  "but  in  a 
multitude  of  cases  they  outdo  non-professors  in 
their  devotion  to  worldly  gratifications,  and,  to  all 
appearance,  they  are  '  lovers  of  pleasure  more  than 
lovers  of  God." 

"  Could  the  village  preacher  hear  your  words, 
Mrs.  Mason,  he  might  well  be  proud  of  his  achieve- 
ment," said  the  pastor. 

"  Don't  give  the  village  preachertoo  much  credit," 
said  Mrs.  Mason,  "  for  through  the  instrumentality 
of  my  husband  my  eyes  were  partly  opened  to  see 
these  things  before  I  left  the  city." 

"  Well,"  said  Dr.  Darling,  "we  are  right  glad  to 
see  you  home.  I  am  not  sorry  to  see  this  great 
change  in  you  and  Mr.  Mason.  Your  strong  lan- 
guage has  furnished  me  materials  for  reflection.  It 
may  be  true  that  in  our  best  society,  as  we  call  it, 
is  found  much  counterfeit.  I  will  look  into  this  mat- 
ter a  little  closer.  I  thank  you  for  your  plain,  fearless 
words.  I  am  comparatively  young  and  inexperi- 
enced, and  what  I  have  heard  may  do  me  good." 


78  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

They  rose  to  leave,  and  the  parting  on  both  sides 
was  perfectly  friendly. 

Helen  had  been  at  home  two  days.  Her  mother 
had  gone  out,  and  the  daughter  sat  alone  in  the  par- 
lor, thinking  over  in  a  happy  frame  of  mind  the 
wonderful  things  she  had  seen  and  heard  in  Mar- 
vindale,  while  her  young  heart  throbbed  with  grateful 
emotions.  The  bell  rang,  and  in  a  few  moments 
Clara  Downing  and  Grace  Doyle  rushed  into  the 
room  and  warmly  embraced  their  young  friend. 

"Why,  Helen!"  said  Clara,' "  that  country  visit 
must  have  agreed  with  you,  for  you  look  splendid." 

"Thank  you,  Clara,"  said  Helen;  "my  time 
passed  away  delightfully.  I  never  was  so  happy 
before." 

"  And  did  you  find  a  cultured  society  in  such  a 
place?"  asked  Grace. 

"Indeed  I  did!"  said  Helen,  smiling.  "The 
young  people  were  so  intelligent  that  at  times  I  felt 
embarrassed." 

"  Helen  Mason,  I  am  perfectly  astonished !"  cried 
Clara. 

"  And  so  am  I,"  said  Miss  Doyle. 

"But  why  should  you  be  astonished?"  asked 
Helen.  "  With  good  educational  advantages,  sitting 
under  the  ministry  of  talented  ministers,  with  ready 
access  to  large  libraries,  I  don't  see  why  they  should 
not  be  as  intelligent,  and  more  so,  than  those  who 
live  amid  the  excitement  of  a  large  city." 

"  Helen,  we  will  not  debate  with  you,  for  you 
will  beat  us  every  time,"  said  Clara,  "and  we  like 


The  "Best  Society"  Analyzed.  79 

you  all  the  better  for  it.  But  now  to  business. 
There  are  to  be  unusual  attractions  at  the  Broad- 
way Theater  to-morrow  night.  We  are  going  with 
our  brothers  and  we  greatly  desire  the  pleasure  of 
your  company.  We  shall  call  with  the  carriage  at  half 
past  seven.  If  you  are  not  otherwise  engaged  we  hope 
that  you  will  go  with  us.  It  will  be  splendid!" 

"I  airi  not  otherwise  engaged,"  said  Helen,  in  a 
firm  voice.  "  But,  girls,  let  me  tell  you,  once  for  all, 
that  I  shall  never  again  go  to  a  theater,  nor  to  any 
party  where  they  dance  and  play  cards." 

"  Helen  Mason  !  What  has  come  over  you  ?"  said 
Grace  Doyle. 

"While  away  I  have  experienced,  as  I  believe,  a 
genuine  change  of  heart.  I  have  fully  consecrated 
myself  to  the  Lord  for  time  and  eternity.  This  is 
also  the  experience  of  papa  and  mamma.  O,  girls, 
I  love  you  dearly  !  You  are  members  of  the  Church, 
and  is  this  constant  running  after  worldly  pleasure 
consistent  with  the  religion  of  the  meek  and  lowly 
Saviour,  who  said  that  in  order  to  be  his  disciples 
we  must  deny  ourselves  and  take  up  the  cross?" 

"But  if  it  is  wrong,"  said  Clara,  "why  doesn't 
Dr.  Darling  say  something  about  it,  either  in  the 
pulpit  or  out  of  it?" 

"  Perhaps  he  has  never  seriously  considered  the 
subject,"  said  Helen.  "  He  may  yet.  If  on  your 
knees  you  consult  your  Saviour,  He  will  never  advise 
you  to  attend  theaters  and  dances." 

The  girls  thought  it  was  time  to  go,  but  before 
leaving  they  fondly  kissed  the  fair  lips  from  which 
had  dropped  those  earnest,  solemn  words. 


8o  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash. 

One  morning  before  the  breakfast-hour,  while 
Mr.  Mason  was  examining  the  pages  of  one  of  his 
morning  papers,  his  eyes  rested  on  a  paragraph 
which  greatly  moved  him. 

"Call  in  your  mother,  Helen,"  said  he,  with  his 
face  beaming  with  gladness.  "  I  find  something 
here  that  both  of  you  will  be  glad  to  hear." 

In  a  few  moments  Mrs.  Mason  was  in  the  room, 
and  both  mother  and  daughter  waited  for  a  further 
revelation.  The  father  read  the  following : 

"  At  the  session  of  the  W Conference,  which 

closed  its  labors  yesterday,  Rev.  George  Bunting, 
D.D.,  was  transferred  to  New  York  East  Confer- 
ence and  appointed  to  the  St.  Thomas  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  this  city.  It  is  understood 
that,  aside  from  his  profound  scholarship,  the  gen- 
tleman is  one  of  the  most  effective  pulpit  orators 
in  the  Church.  His  success  at  Marvindale  was 
wonderful." 

Helen  was  the  first  to  respond,  which  she  did 
by  clapping  her  hands.  "  Once  I  did  not  look  favor- 
ably upon  this  moving  among  Methodist  ministers ; 
but  see  how  beautifully  it  has  worked  in  this  case !" 

"  Beautifully  indeed  !"  said  the  mother.  "  As  an 
instrument  in  God's  hand  he  has  done  for  us  a  won- 
derful work  that  we  shall  never  forget.  I  feel  as  if 
we  ought  to  put  ourselves  under  his  pastoral  care." 

"  O,  mamma,  dear,  I  am  so  glad  to  hear  you  say 
that!"  cried  Helen.  "  I  am  almost  sure  that  papa 
feels  as  I  do." 

"  I  had  no  intention  of  asking  your  mother  to 
change  her  church  relation,"  said  the  father.  "I 


The  "Best  Society"  Analyzed.  8 1 

fully  believed  that  God,  by  his  Spirit,  would  lead  us 
all  in  the  right  way.  As  I  feel  now  I  am  strongly 
inclined  to  avail  myself  of  the  tender  care  of  that 
good  man  who,  under  God,  has  led  us  into  the  fold 
of  Christ." 

In  due  time  the  minister  arrived  and  preached 
his  first  sermon  to  the  people  of  his  new  charge. 
The  house  was  crowded,  and  the  ministry  was  "  in 
the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  with  power." 
The  audience  was  deeply  affected,  and  hearty  re- 
sponses were  heard  from  brethren  whose  hearts 
were  full. 

Before  the  benediction  was  pronounced  one  of 
the  church  officials  stood  in  front  of  the  congrega- 
tion and  said  that  Dr.  Bunting  would  be  glad  to 
take  by  the  hand  any  and  all  who  would  C9me  up 
to  the  altar  after  the  meeting  was  closed.  A  large 
number  went  forward  and  were  introduced  to  the 
new  pastor.  They  were  all  strangers.  At  last  came 
three — a  husband,  wife,  and  daughter. 

"Bless  the  Lord!  Here  we  meet  again,"  cried 
the  minister,  and  the  hand-shaking  was  exceedingly 
cordial.  There  was  no  time  then  for  prolonged  con- 
versation, but  they  gave  him  the  street  and  number 
of  their  house,  and  he  promised  to  call  on  a  certain 
day  of  that  week — which  he  did — and  on  the  next 
Sabbath  the  family  was  received  into  the  church  ; 
the  mother  by  letter,  the  father  and  daughter  on 

probation. 
6 


82  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

A  MEETING  AT  FARRINGTON'S  AND  "THE  COMING  OF 
ARTHUR." 

T^ETVVEEN  Helen  and  her  Cousin  Hattie  there 
[j  was  now  formed  a  regular  correspondence  of 
the  most  affectionate  nature.  The  following  will 
show  the  reader  the  state  of  Miss  Mason's  mind 
and  throw  light  upon  the  situation  : 

NEW  YORK,  Sept.  20,  18— . 

"  DEAR  COUSIN  HATTIE  :  I  thank  you  from 
the  depth  of  my  heart  for  all  of  your  good  letters, 
and  especially  for  your  last.  I  have  read  it  over 
and  over,  and  it  has  yielded  me  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure  and  profit.  I  am  very  glad  to  know  that 
your  new  minister  met  such  a  warm  reception  and 
that  he  is  doing  such  a  grand  work.  I  had  some 
fears  that  the  overwhelming  popularity  of  Brother 
Bunting  would  prove  to  be  unfavorable  to  his  suc- 
cessor. Those  fears  were  groundless.  The  Method- 
ists adapt  themselves  most  grandly  to  their  wonder- 
ful itinerancy.  I  have  formed  a  large  circle  of  new 
acquaintances,  young  ladies  of  moral  worth  and 
deep  piety.  Their  conversations  prove  to  me  ex- 
ceedingly valuable,  so  different  from  the  fashiona- 
ble talk  that  I  have  heard  for  many  years. 

"  Since  it  became  known  to  our  former  set  that 
we  have  forever  abandoned  theaters  and  dancing- 


A  Meeting  at  Farrington' s.  83 

parties  many  of  them  treat  us  coldly,  and  some 
spitefully.  But  I  have  reasons  for  believing  that  we 
have  convinced  several  that  '  the  pomp  and  vanity 
of  this  wicked  world  '  can  never  be  harmonized  with 
the  religion  of  Christ. 

v.  «  \Ye  are  heartily  engaged  in  church  work.  In 
addition  to  the  regular  meetings,  which  we  greatly 
enjoy,  we  have  a  number  of  organizations,  one  of 
which  is  the  Systematic  Benevolent  Society.  In 
this  mamma  takes  a  very  active  part,  and  with  the 
hearty  consent  of  papa  contributes  large  sums  of 
money.  I  am  a  member  of  the  Society  myself,  and 
together  we  often  go  to  the  abodes  of  the  poor  and 
destitute,  examine  the  circumstances,  distinguish  be- 
tween vice  and  virtue,  and  then  we  consult  together 
as  a  Society  in  regard  to  the  most  needy  and  deserv- 
ing. Through  this  benevolence  and  a  kind  word  of 
advice  we  not  only  cheer  the  hearts  of  hundreds  but 
we  gently  lead  them  to  the  Saviour  and  the  Church. 
"  Every  day  I  fondly  think  of  Marvindale  and  the 
few  happy  weeks  I  spent  there.  What  a  society  of 
young  people  !  They  are  splendid  !  Alice  Trevor — 
I  dearly  love  her.  Her  ringing  sweet  laughter  is 
yet  in  my  ears.  And  her  tall,  straight,  handsome, 
intelligent — brother.  I  almost  added  captivating ; 
but  you  see  I  didn't.  The  list  is  too  long  to  men- 
tion by  name.  They  are  all  down  on  my  book  of 
remembrance.  Kind  love  to  my  dear  uncle  and 
aunt  and  many  others.  Write  often,  my  dear  Hat- 
tie,  to  your  COUSIN  HELEN." 

Mr.  Farrington 's  father,  or  John's  grandfather,  was 


84  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash. 

a  rich  man,  and  when  he  died  left  a  vast  amount  of 
city  property  to  his  only  son.  Like  his  parent,  this 
son  was  a  keen  business  man,  temperate  in  his  hab- 
its, and  somewhat  quiet  in  his  manners.  His  wife 
was  of  a  different  temperament,  fond  of  society  and 
well  known  as  a  leader  in  fashionable  circles.  By 
her  orders  her  family  had  a  private  box  at  several 
theaters  and  opera-houses,  and  the  Farrington  car- 
riage was  very  elegant.  In  addition  to  this  she  was 
a  member  of  an  aristocratic  church,  and  was  as  at- 
tentive to  her  monthly  communion  as  she  was  to 
her  weekly  theaters  and  dances.  This  costly  round 
of  amusement  did  not  at  all  disturb  her  husband,  who 
knew  that,  owing  to  the  abundance  of  his  income, 
there  was  not  the  least  danger.  Sometimes  he 
would  accompany  his  family  to  those  gay  gather- 
ings, but  oftener  he  stayed  at  home. 

The  Farringtons  contributed  largely  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  church,  and  it  was  chiefly  through  Mrs. 
Farrington 's  influence  that  Rev.  Dr.  Darling  had 
received  a  call  to  become  the  pastor  of  "  Mount 
Zion." 

It  was  now  over  three%  months  since  that  conver- 
sation took  place,  when  the  minister  and  his  wife  sat 
in  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason's  parlor  soon  after  their  re- 
turn from  Marvindale.  The  words  of  truth  and 
soberness  to  which  the  pastor  of  Mount  Zion  list- 
ened at  that  time  were  not  forgotten.  He  left  the 
house  under  a  degree  of  conviction  that  the  wonder- 
ful change  in  that  worldly,  fashionable  woman  was 
not  brought  about  by  a  fanatical  enthusiast.  In 
addition  to  this  there  arose  in  his  mind  the  serious 


A  Meeting  at  Farringtoris,  85 

question,  "  Has  my  ministry  among  this  people  been 
of  the  evangelical  apostolic  stamp  ?"  This  question 
he  revolved  in  his  mind,  but  he  would  wait  awhile 
and  examine  it  more  thoroughly  before  he  would 
decide  upon  an  answer.  He  would  watch  the  result 
of  this  sudden  transformation  and  see  if  the  Mason 
family  would  persevere  in  their  new  departure. 
This  he  did,  and  in  the  father,  mother,  and  daugh- 
ter he  saw  a  most  beautiful  specimen  of  Christian  life. 
In  each  of  them  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  was  found  in 
rich  abundance. 

On  one  Sabbath  evening,  when  there  was  no  serv- 
ice in  their  own  church,  Rev.  Dr.  Darling  and  his 
wife  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  hear- 
ing Dr.  Bunting.  They  went  in  late,  and  took  their 
seat  near  the  door,  where  but  few  noticed  them. 
The  MetKodist  minister  on  that  Sabbath  evening 
was  in  one  of  his  most  effective  moods ;  eloquent, 
learned,  convincing,  persuasive,  and  pathetic.  When 
the  meeting  closed  Dr.  Darling  and  his  companion 
hastened  away,  and  said  but  little  until  they  reached 
their  home. 

"  Well,  my  dear,"  said  the  minister,  "we  have 
heard  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bunting." 

"We  have,"  said  the  wife,  "and  without  asking 
your  opinion  of  the  man  and  the  sermon  I  am  quite 
ready  to  give  mine.  I  think  it  was  a  grand  specimen 
of  gospel  preaching." 

"  I  perfectly  agree  with  you,"  said  the  husband. 
"  I  never  was  more  interested  in  a  sermon  in  all  my 
life.  I  am  now  fully  convinced,  my  dear,  that  my 
ministry  has  not  been  of  the  right  stamp.  I  have 


86  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash. 

not  purposely  neglected  my  duty.  A  new  light  has 
broken  upon  me,  and  by  God's  help  I  will  be  faith- 
ful to  my  convictions." 

"And  God  will  help  you,  my  dear,"  said  Mrs. 
Darling  as  she  kissed  his  heated  brow. 

They  knelt  together  before  the  Lord  and  made  a 
new  consecration.  They  rose  from  their  devotion 
under  a  sense  of  God's  favor  and  approbation. 

It  was  evening,  and  there  sat  together  in  Mr. 
Farrington's  elegant  parlor  the  family,  with  a  num- 
ber of  others,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  who  had  met  to 
consult  in  regard  to  some  particular  church  arrange- 
ments. These  having  been  disposed  of,  the  con- 
versation, as  usual,  branched  out  into  different  sub- 
jects. 

"  Mrs.  Farrington,"  said  Mrs.  Randall,  "  what  has 
happened  to  Dr.  Darling?  I  am  sure  that  of  late  he 
has  greatly  changed  in  his  manner  of  preaching,  and 
in  my  opinion  the  change  is  decidedly  an  unfavora- 
ble one.  I  am  sure  this  could  not  have  escaped 
your  notice." 

"  O  no,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Farrington  ;  "  we  have 
noticed  it  and  talked  about  it  among  ourselves.  It 
gives  me  great  uneasiness,  for  you  know  that  through 
my  influence  chiefly  Dr.  Darling  secured  his  promi- 
nent position  among  the  city  pastors.  This  change 
is  visible  not  only  in  his  pulpit  efforts,  but  also  in 
every  thing  else.  His  remarks  at  the  close  of  the 
last  communion  service  in  regard  to  those  church 
members  who  patronize  theaters  and  who  are  never 
seen  in  the  prayer-meeting  were  exceedingly  out  of 


A  Meeting  at  Farrington' s.  87 

taste.     I  was  perfectly  astonished  and  very   much 
provoked." 

"  He  might  have  known  that  his  remarks  would 
have  been  offensive  to  a  great  many,"  said  Mrs. 
Randall.  "Those  who  enjoy  prayer- meetings  of 
course  are  at  liberty  to  attend  them.  As  for  me,  I 
think  they  are  decidedly  flat.  His  sneering  allusion 
to  the  theater  would  be  more  becoming  in  a  Meth- 
odist preacher  than  in  the  pastor  of  Mount  Zion." 

"So  I  say!"  said  John  Farrington  in  a  loud 
voice.  "  I  had  more  than  enough  of  that  stuff  in 
Marvindale,  and  we  can't  tolerate  it  in  our  church. 
It  will  not  take  long  for  mother  to  put  a  veto  on  Dr. 
Darling's  lingo  and  stop  his  nonsense." 

"  If  your  mother  has  such  ready  power  over  lingo 
and  nonsense  I  would  advise  her  without  any  delay 
to  try  her  hand  on  you,"  said  his  father,  with  an 
expression  of  countenance  that  was  not  amiable. 

"John  has  his  outspoken,  blunt  way,"  said  the 
mother,  in  a  manner  apologetic.  "  Dr.  Darling  has 
no  truer  friend  than  John  Cicero  Farrington." 

"  Does  any  one  know  of  any  reason  for  this  change 
in  Dr.  Darling?"  asked  Mrs.  Randall. 

"  I  think  I  do,"  said  Miss  Grace  Doyle,  a  young 
lady  before  mentioned.  "  Soon  after  Helen  Mason 
returned  from  the  country,  Clara  Downing  and  myself 
went  to  see  her,  and  before  we  left  we  invited  her 
to  accompany  us  to  the  Broadway  Theater  on  the 
next  evening.  She  then  told  us  that  she  had  at- 
tended theaters  and  dances  for  the  last  time.  Her 
words  and  her  manner  so  affected  us  that  we  have 
not  attended  a  theater  since.  We  went  and  con- 


88  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash. 

suited  our  minister,  and  he  frankly  told  us  that  from 
the  conversation  he  had  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason, 
and  from  watching  their  daily  lives,  he  became  con- 
vinced that  his  ministry  had  not  been  what  it  ought 
to  have  been.  He  feared  that  many  of  the  mem- 
bers of  his  church  were  '  lovers  of  pleasure  more 
than  lovers  of  God. '  He  seemed  to  feel  very  deeply, 
and  said  that,  God  helping  him,  he  would  try  and  do 
better.  He  prayed  with  us  and  advised  us  not  to 
attend  theaters  and  dances.  That,  in  my  opinion, 
accounts  for  the  change  in  Dr.  Darling's  preaching." 

"  Upon  my  word  !"  said  Mrs.  Farrington,  in  rather 
an  angry  tone.  "  The  change  is  bad  enough,  but  to 
think  that  it  was  brought  about  by  listening  to 
those  insane  Methodists  is  humiliating  beyond  de- 
scription. Ho,  ho !" 

"  You  may  call  the  Masons  '  insane  Methodists'  if 
you  choose,"  said  Miss  Doyle,  "  but  their  insanity  has 
rather  a  strange  way  of  showing  itself,  I  must  say." 

"  Grace,"  said  the  elder  Mr.  Farrington,  "  I  would 
be  pleased,  for  one,  to  know  the  features  of  this 
Mason  insanity." 

"Well,"  said  Grace,  with  a  smile,  "  they  are  ex- 
ceedingly kind,  amiable,  affectionate,  and  intelligent. 
Each  evening  at  a  certain  hour  after  supper,  all  the 
servants  assemble  with  the  family  in  one  of  the  par- 
lors for  prayers.  They  attend  strictly  to  Sabbath 
service  as  well  as  to  their  class-meeting  and  prayer- 
meeting  during  the  week.  Mrs.  Mason  and  Helen 
are  daily  engaged  in  works  of  benevolence.  They 
go  among  the  poor,  the  sick,  and  the  destitute,  and 
give  freely  of  their  money  for  nearly  all  charitable 


A  Meeting  at  Farringtoris.  .      89 

institutions.      That  is  the  way  this  insanity  shows 
itself,  Mr.  Farrington,"  said  Grace. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  man  of  the  house.     "It 
would  be  a  grand  thing  if  such  insanity  were  con-* 
tagious.     But  in  a  little  gathering  like  this  it  is  not 
pleasant  to  get  into  disputations,  so  let  us  touch 
upon  some  other  subject." 

"Just  as  you  please,  Mr.  Farrington,"  said  his 
wife,  and,  feeling  very  confident  that  in  one  gentle- 
man present  she  would  find  an  ally,  she  continued, 
"  but  I  would  like  to  hear  a  few  words  from  Mr. 
Barnard." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  Robert  will  be  too  plain- 
spoken,"  said  his  wife.  "  Sometimes  he  is  a  little 
harsh  in  his  remarks.  I  think  you  would  better 
excuse  him." 

"Yes,  please  excuse  me,"  said  Mr.  Barnard.  "I 
am  but  a  poor  judge  in  such  matters,  and  Kate  is 
right." 

"You  are  a  member  of  our  church,"  said  Mrs. 
Farrington,  "  and  you  ought  to  have  something  to 
say." 

"I  belong  to  the  church,"  said  the  candid  Bar- 
nard, "but  I  don't  pretend  to  be  a  Christian  ;  and 
if  I  did  pretend,  who  under  heavens  would  be  such 
a  consummate  fool  as  to  believe  me  ?  Kate  and 
I  go  to  meeting  on  Sunday  morning,  and  in  the 
afternoon,  if  the  weather  is  fine,  we  drive  to  Cen- 
tral Park.  On  week  nights  we  go  to  the  theaters 
and  dances,  and  never  think  of  going  to  prayer- 
meeting,  where  a  few  Christians  meet.  That  is  the 
kind  of  life  /  live ;  and  is  not  this  true  in  regard 


90  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash. 

to  more  than  half  of  our  members  ?  And  until 
very  lately  there  was  nothing  in  Dr.  Darling's 
preaching  that  interfered  in  the  least  with  this 
kind  of  life;  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth  honestly,  I 
secretly  despised  him  and  his  jingling,  ornamental 
essays,  when  his  own  church  members  by  the  scores, 
and  I  among  them,  were  on  a  full  run  toward  hell. 
Now  I  begin  to  like  him.  I  hope  he  will  give  us 
what  we  deserve,  and  I  will  stand  by  him.  If  any 
church  on  earth  needs  '  hell  and  damnation'  preach- 
ing we  are  just  that  very  church." 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Farrington,  greatly  disap- 
pointed, "  things  are  taking  a  strange  turn,  I  must 
say.  Grace,  please  give  us  some  music,  and  that,  I 
presume,  will  be  acceptable  to  all." 

Miss  Doyle  went  to  the  instrument  and  played 
one  of  her  brilliant  pieces  and  ended  with  a  song. 

One  morning,  before  Mr.  Mason  had  left  his  house 
for  his  place  of  business,  a  letter  from  his  brother 
was  handed  to  him  which  read  thus : 

"  DEAR  HiRAM  :  Without  delay,  and  with  the 
greatest  pleasure,  I  answer  your  letter.  Arthur 
Trevor  is  just  the  young  man  you  need.  I  have 
tried  him  thoroughly,  both  as  book-keeper  and 
salesman,  and  he  has  given  perfect  satisfaction. 
He  has  in  him  all  the  elements  of  a  successful 
merchant.  In  addition  to  his  business  capacity  he 
is  amiable  and  kind — so  much  so  that  from  his 
childhood  he  has  been  a  universal  favorite — and, 
better  than  all,  he  is  deeply  pious.  Of  course  I 


A  Meeting  at  Farrington's.  91 

shall  not  mention  the  subject  to  him.  I  leave  that 
to  you.  He  will  undoubtedly  accept  your  offer  with 
thanks,  for,  with  all  his  humility  and  gentleness,  he 
has  much  ambition.  When  Arthur  Trevor  leaves 
Marvindale  tears  will  freely  flow.  But  it  will  be  far 
better  for  the  young,  man.  Our  love  to  sister  and 
niece.  Your  brother,  JAMES." 

"  He  will  be  such  a  help  in  our  church,"  said 
Helen,  in  a  voice  that  was  not  quite  firm.  "  Mamma, 
don't  you >think  he  will  be  splendid  in  our  Sabbath- 
school?" 

"  Arthur  Trevor  will  be  splendid  in  any  place, 
my  dear,"  said  the  mother. 

"I  will  write  to  him  at  once,"  said  the  father. 
The  following  letter  was  penned,  and  reached  Mar- 
vindale the  next  morning. 

"  MY  DEAR  YOUNG  FRIEND  :  I  write  to  you  on 
a  matter  of  business.  Our  trade  of  late  has  greatly 
increased,  and  I  need  an  assistant  book-keeper. 
Judge  Mason  assures  me  that  you  are  fully  compe- 
tent for  that  position  as  well  as  for  other  depart- 
ments in  my  store.  I  will  give  you  a  fair  salary 
and  put  you  on  the  way  for  promotion.  If  you  can 
accept  the  position  please  let  me  know  when  to 
look  for  you.  Yours  truly,  HlRAM  MASON." 

The  answer  promptly  came,  which  was  as  follows : 

"  MR.  MASON,  DEAR  SIR  :  I  thank  you  for  your 
kind  offer.  After  having  consulted  my  mother  and 
Judge  Mason  I  gladly  accept  the  position,  with  the 


92  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash. 

full  purpose,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  to  give  you 
satisfaction.  In  two  weeks  from  to-day,  Providence 
permitting,  I  will  take  the  morning  train  for  New 
York.  Respectfully  yours,  ARTHUR  TREVOR." 

At  the  time  appointed  the  young  man  was  met 
at  the  depot  by  Mr.  Mason,  and  was  taken  to  an 
excellent  boarding-house,  in  close  proximity  to  the 
store,  and  furnished  with  very  comfortable  quarters. 

On  the  next  morning  he  was  shown  by  Mr. 
Mason  through  every  department  of  the  vast  build- 
ing and  given  to  understand  that,  for  his  own  benefit, 
he  would  not  be  wholly  confined  to  book-keeping. 
It  was  evident  that  the  interest  the  proprietor  felt 
in  this  young  man  was  deeper  and  of  a  different 
nature  from  that  taken  in  the  generality  of  his 
clerks. 

Nothing  had  been  said  to  Mr.  Bunting  by  the 
Masons  in  regard  to  Arthur's  coming.  They 
thought  they  would  give  the  pastor  a  surprise. 
Although  the  young  man  sat  in  the  pew  with  them 
the  minister  did  not  see  him.  At  the  close  of  the 
sermon  Arthur's  church  letter  was  handed  to  the 
minister.  He  looked  it  over,  and  his  countenance 
changed.  He  then  remarked:  "I  am  delightfully 
surprised.  I  hold  in  my  hand  the  church  letter  of 
a  young  brother  from  my  former  charge,  with  whom 
I  have  been  well  and  happily  acquainted  for  two 
years.  If  the  young  man  were  not  present  I  might 
say  much  more."  He  then  read  the  letter,  and 
commended  Arthur  to  the  affectionate  regards  of 
the  membership. 


In  Search  of  a  Model,  and  How  it  Worked.     93 


CHAPTER  IX. 
IN  SEARCH  OF  A  MODEL,  AND  HOW  IT  WORKED. 

REV.  DR.  DARLING  became  still  more  pointed 
and  convincing  in  his  sermons  and  more 
spiritual  in  his  pastoral  visitations.  Dissatisfaction 
increased  on  the  part  of  the  majority,  led  on  by 
Mrs.  Farrington,  while  a  good  number  seemed  to 
be  well  pleased  with  the  new  departure.  The 
pastor,  rather  than  stay  in  a  divided  church,  saw  fit 
to  hand  in  his  resignation,  in  which  he  admitted  the 
sad. failure  of  his  ministry.  He  had  no  unkind 
word  for  any  one.  He  soon  received  a  number  of 
calls,  and  finally  became  the  pastor  of  a  strong 
church  in  a  western  city.  Mount  Zion  remained  in 
a  bad  state,  Mrs.  Farrington  running  the  machinery 
with  a  high  hand.  The  few  devoted  ones  sought  a 
more  congenial  home,  and  the  church,  like  her 
former  Laodicean  sister,  increased  in  goods  and 
wanted  nothing. 

One  day  there  came  into  Mr.  Mason's  store  a 
well-dressed  gentleman  and  inquired  for  the  pro- 
prietor. He  was  shown  to  the  private  office. 

"Mr.  Mason,"  said  the  stranger,  "my  name  is 
Ostrander.  Here  is  my  card.  My  father  for.many 
years  has  been  in  trade  at  New  Orleans.  Our 
business  has  so  increased  that  we  have  concluded 
to  build  a  new  store  on  an  extensive  scale.  At  the 


94  .  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash. 

request  of  my  father  I  came  north  in  search  of  a 
perfect  model.  I  have  been  informed  by  several 
merchants  that  your  building,  in  many  respects,  is 
the  most  convenient  in  the  city.  I  would  take  it  as 
a  great  favor  to  be  shown  through  your  house." 

"  It  will  give  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  show 
you  through  the  building  myself,"  said  Mr.  Mason, 
rising.  "  We  shall  begin  at  the  bottom."  And  both 
left  the  private  office.  The  proprietor  showed  the 
stranger  through  every  part.  Their  stay  below  was 
somewhat  protracted.  Every  door  was  carefully 
examined  and  marked  down  in  a  blank-book  which 
the  stranger  held  in  his  hand.  They  then  went 
into  the  parts  above.  When  the  survey  was  ended 
they  re-entered  the  street  floor.  The  southern 
gentleman  expressed  himself  as  perfectly  delighted 
with  the  building,  and  in  very  strong  terms  thanked 
Mr.  Mason  for  his  great  kindness. 

At  that  moment  Arthur,  from  a  distant  part  of 
the  store,  had  a  full  clear  view  of  the  stranger's 
face,  and  was  startled  to  find  that  he  was  none 
other  than  his  former  classmate  at  Marvindale, 
Mark  Floyd.  His  first  impulse  was  to  go  and 
speak  to  him,  but  he  concluded  to  keep  out  of  his 
sight,  and  wait  to  hear  from  Mr.  Mason  the  nature 
of  the  interview.  From  what  he  had  learned  of 
Floyd  after  his  expulsion  from  school  he  was  well 
convinced  that  at  this  time  he  was  on  some  errand  of 
mischief.  The  stranger,  with  a  polite  bow,  left  the 
building,  and  Mr.  Mason  returned  to  his  private 
office  with  strengthened  opinions  concerning  the 
perfections  of  his  large  house. 


In  Search  of  a  Model,  and  PLw  it  Worked.     95 

In  about  an  hour  after  this,  Arthur,  wishing  to  ask 
Mr.  Mason  some  questions  touching  a  little  discrep- 
ancy between  certain  figures,  went  into  his  private 
office.  These  were  soon  adjusted. 

"  Arthur,  did  you  notice  that  young  man  with 
whom  I  went  through  the  building  about  an  hour 
ago?"  asked  Mr.  Mason. 

"  I  did  indeed,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  I  know  him  well, 
and  I  have  been  wondering  what  he  wanted." 

"  You  know  him  well  !"  said  Mr.  Mason,  in  aston- 
ishment. "  I  don't  see  how  that  can  be.  He  told  me 
his  name  was  Ostrander,  and  his  father  a  merchant 
in  New  Orleans  ;  that  they  intended  to  build  a 
new  store,  and  wanted  to  secure  a  good  model." 

"  I  am  not  mistaken  in  the  man,"  said  Arthur. 
"  His  name  is  Mark  Floyd.  His  father  is  a  rich 
brewer.  Mark  was  my  classmate  for  a  year  and  a 
half  in  Marvindale.  He  was  expelled  for  deception 
and  lying.  He  went  home,  robbed  his  father  of 
four  hundred  dollars,  and  ran  away.  In  all  proba- 
bility he  belongs  to-day  to  a  gang  of  thieves." 

"Arthur,  sit  down,"  said  Mr.  Mason.  "We 
must  talk  this  matter  over  a  little  more.  If  you 
are  correct  it  has  a  very  serious  appearance." 

"  Mark  Floyd  has  several  peculiarities  of  features," 
said  Arthur,  "  and  by  me  they  could  not  be  mis- 
taken. He  is  a  constitutional  liar  and  a  depraved 
wretch.  By  a  deception  that  may  claim  ingenuity 
he  has  got  a  full  knowledge  of  the  interior  of  this 
building  and  what  it  contains." 

"  And  what  is  your  explanation  of  this  strange 
movement,  Arthur?"  asked  Mr.  Mason. 


g6  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

"  It  admits  of  but  one  explanation,"  was  the  an- 
swer. "  That  fellow,  with  his  comrades,  has  an  eye 
on  this  building,  with  burglarious  intentions.  If  it 
would  be  pertinent  in  me  to  give  advice  I  would  say 
that  the  store  should  have  a  double  outside  watch." 

"  I  am  so  thankful  that  you  happened  to  see  the 
villain  and  recognize  him,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  by  this 
time  well  convinced  that  Arthur  was  correct.  "  We 
shall  be  on  our  guard,  and  I  will  see  that  the  watch 
shall  be  strengthened." 

In  a  room  reached  through  dark,  winding,  mys- 
terious passages,  were  assembled  at  a  late  hour  of 
the  night  about  a  dozen  men  in  rough  high  rev- 
elry. Owing  to  the  depth  of  their  hiding-place 
and  its  remoteness  from  other  apartments  their 
boisterous  proceedings  did  not  disturb  any  quiet 
sleepers.  This  was  one  of  their  rare  jovial  nights  in 
which  they  were  permitted  by  their  chief  to  indulge 
freely. 

"  Well,  Nero,"  said  the  chief,  who  was  perfectly 
sober,  addressing  himself  to  Mark  Floyd,  "  have  you 
found  a  right  model  for  your  new  store  at  New  Or- 
leans ?  " 

"  Prospects  grand  !  "  said  Nero.  "  Abundant 
treasures  !  Success  sure  !  " 

"  Three  cheers  for  Nero  !  "  said  the  chief.  But 
the  company  refused  to  cheer. 

"  No  disrespect  must  be  shown  to  your  superior !  " 
cried  the  chief. 

"We  don't  receive  the  skulking  coward  as  our 
superior  !  "  cried  "  Rob  Roy." 


In  Search  of  a  Model,  and  Hoiv  it  Worked.     97 

"  That  we  don't,  by  along  shot !  "  cried  another. 

"  Silence,  you  drunken  fools  !  "  cried  the  chief 
again.  "  Have  you  no  regard  for  your  sacred  obli- 
gations ?  " 

"  Much  more  than  Nero  has,"  answered  "  Robin 
Hood."  "  We  meet  dangers,  but  he  skulks.  We  bear 
his  insolence  no  longer." 

The  chief  saw  at  once  that  threatening  would  not 
answer,  and  said  :  "  To-night,  my  boys,  you  are 
somewhat  heated  ;  to-morrow  you  will  be  sorry  for 
what  you  have  said.  In  our  very  next  operation 
Nero  will  take  the  most  dangerous  post." 

To  this  there  was  no  reply,  but  sneering  counte- 
nances plainly  told  that  Mark  Floyd  was  detested 
by  the  majority  of  the  gang.  His  selfishness  and 
conceit  were  as  visible  in  the  New  York  burglar  as 
in  the  Marvindale  student. 

One  Tuesday  afternoon  Mr.  Mason  received  by 
mail  this  strange  communication  : 

"  Mistar  Maysun  this  is  munda  look  out  for  thirsta 
nite  the  man  from  neu  ar  leens  wil  bee  a  rownd 
plees  thro  this  in  tha  fiar,  wan  hoo  nose." 

Mr.  Mason  at  once  sent  a  boy  to  inform  Arthur 
that  he  was  wanted  at  the  private  office,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  proprietor  and  his  clerk  were 
closeted  together. 

"Trevor,  how  is  this  to  be  explained?"  asked 
Mr.  Mason. 

"  It  is  often  said  '  there  is  honor  among  thieves/  " 
said  Arthur,  "  but  they  often  quarrel  and  betray  each 
other.  Mark  Floyd  could  never  remain  long  in  any 
society  without  creating  enemies.  In  my  opinion 


98  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

this  is  one  of  them,  and  he  desires  Mark  to  fall  into 
a  trap." 

"  But  does  not  this  warning  endanger  himself?  " 
asked  Mr.  Mason. 

"  He  well  understands  that  he  is  not  to  be  one  of 
the  number,"  said  Arthur.  "  The  gang  in  all  may 
number  twenty,  when  only  four  or  five  are  employed 
at  the  same  time." 

"Arthur,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  "Your  theory  is  rea- 
sonable. We  should  reveal  this  matter  to  the  chief 
of  police.  Let  us  go  at  once." 

In  a  short  time  they  were  in  the  office  of  that  city 
official,  and  they  revealed  to  him  the  whole,  from 
beginning  to  end. 

"  And  from  all  this  what  is  your  theory  ?  "  asked 
the  chief. 

Mr.  Mason  referred  him  to  Arthur,  who  briefly 
and  clearly  gave  the  officer  the  same  view  as  he  had 
given  Mr.  Mason. 

"  Young  man,"  said  the  chief,  smiling,  "  when  you 
wish  to  leave  Mr.  Mason's  service  come  to  me,  and 
I  will  put  you  on  the  detective  force.  Your  theory 
is  perfectly  correct,  and  I  am  very  confident  that  we 
are  about  to  grab  a  gang  of  burglars  that  have  so 
far  escaped.  Mr.  Mason,  I  will  have  a  strong  force 
of  my  best  men  at  your  place  on  that  night,  and  I 
believe  I  shall  have  to  see  that  sport  myself.  I 
shall  be  the  fir,;:  one  to  call.  I  will  have  on  no 
uniform.  See  that  I  am  directed  at  once  to  your 
private  office.  The  others  will  follow  at  short  in- 
tervals, in  citizen's  dress,  and  let  them  also  be  shown 
to  your  office.  Last  of  all  shall  come  a  small  chest 


In  Search  of  a  Model,  and  How  it  Worked.     99 

marked  '  For  Mr.  Mason.'  This  shall  contain  a 
number  of  things  that  we  shall  need.  Say  nothing 
about  it  to  any  one  ;  I  will  see  that  the  preparations 
will  be  complete." 

It  was  Thursday,  just  after  dinner.  "  Mary,"  said 
Mr.  Mason,  "  I  will  eat  supper  down  town.  I  have 
a  certain  business  transaction  to  see  to  of  such  a 
nature  that  it  will  keep  Arthur  and  myself  busy 
until  a  very  late  hour." 

"  O  well,  that  is  all  right,"  said  Mrs.  Mason  ;  "you 
have  told  me,  and  I  shall  not  be  uneasy." 

The  night  was  rainy,  dark,  and  tempestuous. 
The  winds  howled  and  there  were  but  few  pedes- 
trians seen  in  the  streets.  Mr.  Mason  had  told  one 
of  his  clerks  that  he  expected  a  number  of  gentle- 
men to  call  upon  him  that  evening  and  that  they 
were  to  be  conducted  into  his  private  office. 

Mr.  Snyder,  the  chief,  arrived  first,  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  four  more  at  short  intervals,  and  at  last 
came  the  chest  before  mentioned. 

"  Trevor,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  "  the  night  is  so  very 
rough,  give  the  order  from  me  to  close  the  store  at 
once.  Let  the  lights  be  left  as  they  are." 

The  order  was  given,  and  soon  all  the  clerks  had 
dispersed  and  the  doors  were  locked. 

The  front  half  of  the  store's  basement  was  ele- 
gantly fitted  up  and  contained  among  other  things 
many  valuable  articles  in  gold  and  silver.  The  room 
back  of  this  contained  unopened  packages.  In  the 
rear  were  two  doors  opening  into  an  alley.  Into 
this  basement  the  police  force,  with  Mr.  Mason  and 
Arthur,  entered.  They  soon  reached  the  rear. 


IOO 


Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 


"  Mr.  Mason,"  said  Snyder,  "  did  your  friend  from 
New  Orleans  pay  much  attention  to  this  room  ?  " 

"  More  than  to  any  other  part,"  was  the  reply. 
"  He  examined  the  rear  door  very  closely,  and  in- 
quired about  the  width  of  the  wall." 

"  Exactly,"  said  the  chief.  "  This  is  the  only 
place  where  they  can  force  an  entrance,  and  it  will 
take  them  but  a  short  time  to  enter  the  room." 

"  But  how?"  asked  Mr.  Mason,  with  some  aston- 
ishment. 

"  Well,"  said  the  chief,  "they can  easily  Dislodge 
those  stones  and  make  an  opening  for  the  smallest 
of  their  number  to  get  through,  who  will  then  re- 
move those  iron  bars.  They  can  do  that  with  far 
less  noise  than  to  break  that  heavy  door." 

"  But  can  they  do  all  this  without  being  overtaken, 
by  the  watch  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Mason. 

"  To-night  they  can,"  answered  the  smiling  chief, 
"  for  I  have  ordered  the  watch  not  to  molest  them 
unless  they  see  them  coming  out  of  this  building 
unarrested.  But  where  is  to  be  our  hiding-place  ? 
The  performance  will  be  in  this  room,  and  of  very 
short  duration.  They  are  to  be  suddenly  knocked 
senseless  and  handcuffed  before  they  know  what 
is  the  matter.  Mr.  Mason,  I  see  a  door  there  ;  does 
it  lead  into  a  room  ?" 

"  It  does,"  was  the  answer,  and  the  door  was 
opened. 

"  This  is  just  the  place,"  said  Snyder.  "  Tom 
and  Fred,  you  go  after  the  chest,  and  we  shall  p'ut 
ourselves  in  working  order." 

The  chest  was  brought  and  carried  into  the  hid- 


In  Search  of  a  Model,  and  Hoiv  it  Worked.     101 

ing-room.  Each  officer  put  on  his  uniform,  armed 
himself  with  a  heavy  club  and  a  revolver,  and  pro- 
vided himself  with  a  pair  of  handcuffs. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Mason  and  Mr.  Trevor  will  go  up  and 
extinguish  the  lights  and  then  come  down  and  stay 
with  us  in  our  little  room,  where  we  shall  wait  for 
our  guests.  It  is  a  grand  night  for  burglars,  and  I 
don't  think  they  will  neglect  it,"  said  Mr.  Snyder. 

This  order  was  at  once  obeyed,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  Mr.  Mason  and  Arthur  returned. 

"  One  thing  more,"  said  the  chief:  "they  must 
not  be  permitted  to  enter  that  front  basement. 
They  will  break  that  lock  in  a  second.  Place  some 
heavy  substance  in  front  of  that  door ;  something 
that  they  cannot  easily  remove.  This  will  give  us 
a  little  better  advantage  to  dispose  of  them." 

This  was  soon  done.  "  Now  let  us  get  into  that 
room  and  make  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  we  can 
until  we  are  relieved." 

In  a  moment  all  was  silent  and  dark.  Seven  per- 
sons sat  together  in  the  little  waiting-room.  Not 
a  whisper  was  heard.  Nothing  seemed  to  astonish 
Mr.  Mason  more  than  the  confident,  manner  in 
which  the  chief  spoke  and  acted.  The  theory 
of  Trevor  seemed  plausible,  but,  after  all,  did  it 
amount  to  any  thing  stronger  than  a  probability  ? 
These  were  questions  that  somewhat  troubled 
Mr.  Mason  in  that  dark,  silent  .hiding-place.  If 
the  burglars  should  not  appear  their  situation 
would  be  somewhat  ludicrous.  The  storm  raged 
in  all  its  fury,  and  the  darkness  in  the  alley  was 
deep.  The  hours  passed  away,  and  a  clock  in  a 


IO2  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash, 

neighboring  steeple  struck  the  hour  of  midnight. 
The  chief  sat  next  to  Mr.  Mason.  In  about  ten 
minutes  after  the  clock  struck  Mr.  Mason  felt  his 
hand  gently  tapped  by  that  of  the  officer.  He 
listened  with  all  his  powers,  but  could  not  hear  a 
sound.  He  felt  the  same  tapping  again,  and  now, 
indistinctly,- he  could  hear  a  certain  movement  on 
the  outside.  His  heart  beat  quickly.  It  soon  be- 
came evident  that  the  wall  was  attacked.  There 
was  no  pounding,  but  by  some  method  the  stones 
were  being  removed  with  but  very  little  noise.  Be- 
fore long,  substances  fell  on  the  inside.  Mr.  Snyder 
and  his  men  now  all  at  once  rose  to  their  feet.  The 
watchers  could  now  hear  busy  footsteps.  More 
stones  fell  into  the  room,  and  from  a  brief  stillness 
it  was  clear  that  the  opening  was  completed.  The 
crawling  through  was  but  the  work  of  a  few  mo- 
ments, and  one  of  the  gang  was  in  the  room.  He 
felt  for  the  door,  removed  the  iron  bars,  and  the 
door  was  opened.  How  many  came  in  was  not  yet 
known  to  the  officers,  for  as  yet  burglars  and  all 
were  in  darkness.  The  door  was  quickly  shut  and 
barred. 

"  Cover  the  opening,  Nero,  before  we  uncover  the 
lanterns,"  said  a  voice  on  a  very  low  key. 

"That  is  done,  worthy  chief,"  said  Nero. 

"  Now  we  are  all  safely  in,"  said  the  master  burg- 
lar. "Light!"  And  in  a  moment  light  there  was. 
Through  slight  openings  Snyder  and  his  men  saw 
five  persons  standing  on  the  floor. 

"  Now,  my  men,  you  are  to  reap  the  biggest  har- 
vest of  the  year,"  said  the  chief  burglar.  "  Nero, 


In  Search  of  a  Model,  and  Hoiv  it  Worked.     103 

who  knows  all  about  the  building,  will  conduct  you 
to  those  valuables  that  will  take  the  least  room. 
Beyond  that  door  you  will  find  articles  in  gold  and 
silver.  Let  each  depart  well  loaded.  Now,  to  work  !" 

"  I  see  there  are  heavy  boxes  resting  against  the 
door,"  said  Nero,  "  but  we  can  easily  remove  them." 

"  Let  them  be  removed  at  once,"  said  the  com- 
mander ;  and,  while  the  robbers  were  in  the  act  of 
removing  the  heavy  obstructions,  quick  as  lightning 
the  policemen  fell  upon  them,  and  by  well-directed 
blows  from  heavy  clubs  the  five  burglars  were  laid 
senseless  on  the  floor. 

"  On  with  their  ornaments,  my  brave  lads!"  said 
the  chief,  and  instantly  their  hands  were  bound 
together. 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha!"  cried  Snyder.  "  This  is  the  neat- 
est job  that  I  have  witnessed  in  years.  While  they 
are  coming  to  let  us  have  a  smoke."  And  he  handed 
his  men  some  cigars. 

As  the  prisoners  recovered  consciousness  and 
looked  around,  the  curses  were  terrible,  and  not  fit  to 
be  mentioned  here  even  with  the  assistance  of  dashes. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  think  you  have  slept  long  enough," 
said  Mr.  Snyder.  "  It  is  high  time  for  you  to  start 
for  your  lodgings.  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  enter- 
tain you  as  my  guests  this  stormy  night." 

"  A  thousand  curses  on  your  head !  "  cried  Nero. 

"  Ah  !  I  think  I  hear  the  voice  of  Mark  Floyd, 
Esq.,  the  once  brilliant  orator  of  Marvindale  Acad- 
emy," said  Mr.  Snyder.  "Hail,  Nero!  I  fear  the 
new  store  at  New  Orleans  will  prove  a  failure.  By 
the  way,  would  you  not  be  pleased  with  a  sight  of 


IO4  Gold,  Tinsel  and  Trash. 

one  of  your  schoolmates — Arthur  Trevor,  for  in- 
stance? Here  he  stands." 

"  Mark,"  said  Arthur,  "  I  am  sorry  to  find  you  in 
this  situation." 

This  would  have  affected  some  pretty  hard  char- 
acters into  tears.  But  not  so  Mark  Floyd.  He 
broke  out  in  the  most  abusive  language  imaginable. 

"  Enough  of  this,"  said  Mr.  Snyder.  "  My  men, 
help  those  fellows  to  their  feet  and  march  them  to 
the  station-house."  And  this  was  done. 

Mr.  Snyder  remained.  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  I  have 
a  bit  of  information  to  give  you.  You  wondered 
why  I  felt  so  positive  in  regard  to  this  matter. 
About  two  hours  before  you  and  Mr.  Trevor  came 
to  my  office  the  other  day  I  received  this  letter, 
which,  owing  to  its  horrid  spelling,  I  will  read  to 
you  myself: 

"  '  MR.  CHIEF  OF  POLICE  :  I  belong  to  a  gang 
of  burglars,  and  I  know  I  am  a  hard,  miserable 
wretch  ;  but  when  a  man  shows  me  kindness  I  don't 
forget  it.  Six  years  ago  I  stole  some  goods  from 
the  store  of  Hiram  Mason  and  was  arrested.  I  told 
him  I  was  very  sorry.  He  talked  to  me  like  a  father, 
pleaded  for  me  before  the  judge,  and  my  sentence 
was  very  light.  Now,  a  part  of  this  gang — and  I  am 
telling  you  the  truth,  so  help  me  God — is  going  to 
rob  this  Mr.  Mason's  store  on  next  Thursday  night, 
led  by  Nero,  the  meanest  devil  that  ever  breathed. 
That  man's  store  is  not  going  to  be  robbed  if  I  can 
help  it;  and  if  those  that  will  go  at  it  get  nabbed 
so  much  the  better.  Now  you  know  all  about  it.  I 


In  Search  of  a 'Model,  and  How  it  Worked.     105 

send  you  this  because  I  have  not  forgotten  the 
kindness  which  Hiram  Mason  showed  this  poor 
wretch  six  years  ago.  I  am  going  to  leave  the  gang 
to-night.  THAT  is  ALL.'  " 

"  Mr.  Mason,  I  presume  you  remember  this  fel- 
low," said  Snyder. 

"  Very  well,  indeed,"  was  the  reply;  "  and  his  state- 
ment is  perfectly  correct." 

"Your  communication  came  from  the  same  chap," 
said  the  chief,  "  and  he  has  repaid  your  kindness 
with  compound  interest.  Now  I'll  go.  This  matter 
will  cost  you  but  little  time  or  trouble.  It  is  not 
often  that  I  accompany  the  boys,  but  this  time  I 
could  not  withstand  the  temptation." 

The  prisoners  pleaded  guilty,  and  were  sentenced 
to  State  piison  for  terms  varying  from  seven  to  fif- 
teen years. 


io6  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 


CHAPTER    X. 
RAILROAD  CALAMITY,  A  SCREAM,  AND  THEN  JOY. 

A  RTHUR'S  great  proficiency  in  store  and  bus- 
_/\  iness  matters  was  on  the  increase.  He  had 
the  full  confidence  of  his  employer,  and  his  kind, 
amiable  ways  won  the  regard  and  respect  of  his 
fellow-clerks.  His  fine,  manly  appearance  and  gen- 
tlemanly bearing  were  highly  complimented  by  all 
who  had  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance.  In  the 
church,  also,  his  influence  was  constantly  increasing. 
To  his  mother  and  sister  he  was  deeply  devoted, 
and  the  correspondence  between  them  was  uniform 
and  affectionate. 

How  Rev.  Dr.  Darling  was  progressing  in  his 
western  church  may  be  known  from  the  following 
part  of  a  letter  written  to  the  Mason  family : 

"DEAR  BROTHER  AND  SISTER  MASON:  It  is 
now  over  a  year  since  I  became  the  pastor  of  this 
church,  and  the  Lord  has  been  better  to  me  than 
all  my  fears.  My  feeble  efforts  have  been  blessed  in 
the  salvation  of  many  souls.  I  have  learned  much 
from  my  former  failure,  and  I  am  '  determined  to 
know  nothing  among  men  save  Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified.'  Our  social  meetings  are  spiritual 
and  largely  attended. 

"  I  look  back  with  gratitude  to  that  interview  we 


Railroad  Calamity,  and  then  Joy.  107 

had  in  your  parlor  on  an  evening  soon  after  your 
return  from  the  country.  The  weighty  and  solemn 
truths  which  then  fell  upon  my  ears  astonished  me, 
and  became  the  foundation  of  a  better  life  and  a 
more  spiritual  experience. 

"  Mrs.  Darling  joins  me  in  sending  affectionate 
regards  to  yourselves  and  Miss  Helen. 
"Yours,  in  the  Gospel, 

"JOHN  DARLING." 

Arthur  Trevor  had  now  been  in  the  employ  of 
Hiram  Mason  for  three  years,  and  had  reached  the 
age  of  twenty-four.  He  had  received  special  priv- 
ileges and  advantages  in  the  large  emporium  from 
his  very  first  advent.  He  was  very  deep  in  his  em- 
ployer's confidence.  Mr.  Mason  often  had  business 
to  attend  to  in  country  towns  and  villages,  and  in 
this  he  had  found  that  Arthur  was  perfectly  reliable. 

On  an  errand  of  this  nature  he  had  been  sent  to 
a  town  on  the  western  border  of  Massachusetts, 
and  it  was  not  certain  how  long  he  would  have  to 
remain.  One  morning,  just  before  breakfast,  Helen 
was  the  first  one  to  open  the  morning  papers.  She 
was  by  herself  in  one  of  the  parlors.  She  was  at- 
tracted by  this  heading:  "A  SERIOUS  ACCIDENT 
ON  THE  HARLEM  ROAD.  A  LARGE  NUMBER  BADLY, 
AND  SOME  FATALLY,  INJURED!"  She  passed  the 
details  of  the  accident  in  search  of  the  names  of  the 
injured,  and  among  the  first  she  saw  "Arthur  Trevor, 
of  New  York,  ribs  and  arm  broken,  with  severe 
bruises  on  face  and  head.  It  is  feared  that  he 
received  serious  internal  injuries."  The  maiden 


io8  Gold,    Tinsel  and  Trash. 

uttered  a  loud  scream  and  began  to  sob  aloud.  Both 
parents  rushed  into  the  room  in  a  moment. 

"  Helen,  my  child,  what  is  the  matter?  Tell  me 
at  once!"  said  the  father. 

"  O,  papa,  forgive  me  for  screaming!  I  couldn't 
help  it!"  cried  the  girl.  "I  did  not  know  that  I 
was  so  nervous.  Railroad  accident,  and  Arthur  is 
terribly,  if  not  fatally,  injured  !" 

"  Your  screaming  was  perfectly  natural,  my  child, " 
said  the  father.  "  Show  me  the  article  !" 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Mason  was  louder  in  her  weep- 
ing than  was  the  daughter,  while  the  father,  with 
quivering  lips  and  a  pale  countenance,  examined  the 
article. 

"It  says,  '  The  wounded  that  were  able  to  travel 
reached  the  city  last  night,'  "  said  Mr.  Mason. 
"  Heaven  grant  that  he  may  be  among  the  num- 
ber !  "  He  ran  out  of  the  room,  rang  a  bell,  and  his 
coachman  stood  before  him. 

"Now,  Edward,"  said  he,  "have  the  double  car- 
riage ready  as  soon  as  you  possibly  can.  Mr.  Trevor 
is  badly  hurt.  Make  all  haste,  my  man." 

"  My  dear,  while  Ed  is  getting  the  carriage  ready 
we  will  just  take  a  bite  to  keep  us  from  fainting. 
You  must  go  with  me !"  said  Mr.  Mason. 

"  And,  Hiram,  we  must  bring  him  home  with  us 
if  he  is  able  to  ride,"  said  Mrs.  Mason,  through  her 
tears. 

"  That  is  my  intention,"  said  her  husband.  "  Let 
us  take  with  us  a  few  pillows.  Helen,  darling,  bring 
them  down." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  carriage  was  hastening  at  a 


Railroad  Calamity,  and  then  Joy.  109 

rapid  rate  toward  Trevor's  boarding-house,  and 
Helen  was  in  her  chamber  bowed  before  her  heavenly 
Father  in  behalf  of  one  who  was  very  dear  to  her 
heart. 

The  boarding-house  was  reached.  Mrs.  Mason 
went  to  the  parlor,  while  her  husband  hastened  to 
the  office. 

"  Mr.  Rogers,"  he  asked,  "  has  Trevor  arrived  ?" 

"Mr.  Trevor  is  here  and  much  injured,"  said 
Rogers  ;  "  but  his  injuries  are  not  of  a  dangerous 
nature.  He  has  a  broken  arm  and  a  badly  bruised 
face  and  head." 

"  Then  you  think  his  condition  is  not  danger- 
ous?" said  Mr.  Mason,  with  his  face  brightening. 

"  Nothing  dangerous,  I  '11  assure  you, ' '  said  Rogers. 

"  Thank  Heaven  !"  said  Mr.  Mason,  and  hastened 
to  inform  his  wife. 

He  then  returned  to  the  office  and  informed  Mr. 
Rogers  that  under  the  circumstances  he  thought  it 
was  best  to  take  Trevor  with  him  to  his  own  house. 
Mr.  Rogers  was  of  the  same  opinion,  and  said : 

"  I  am  sure  that  you  can  do  better  for  him  than 
we  can.  We  sent  for  Dr.  Bailey  early  this  morning 
and — but  here  he  comes." 

The  doctor,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Mason  and  Mr. 
Rogers,  went  up  to  Arthur's  room.  He  was  lying 
down  partly  dressed,  with  his  head  bandaged.  He 
reached  out  his  left  hand,  which  was  eagerly  grasped 
by  Mr.  Mason. 

"  For  a  short  time  they  have  spoiled  your  beauty, 
Mr.  Trevor,"  said  the  doctor,  in  a  cheerful  voice; 
"but  in  two  or  three  weeks  we'll  have  you  as  good 


HO  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

as  new.  Pretty  hard  knocks,  I  must  say,  but  fort- 
unately they'll  leave  no  permanent  marks.  Have 
you  any  broken  ribs?" 

"  My  ribs  are  all  right,"  said  Arthur.  "  I  have  a 
broken  arm,  with  a  bruised  head  and  face,  and  so 
far  as  I  know  that  is  the  extent  of  my  injury." 

"Let  us  feel  that  broken  arm,"  said  the  physi- 
cian. "  See  how  gently  I  can  do  it !  That  will  do 
for  the  present.  Mr.  Mason  and  his  good  wife  have 
their  carriage  below,  and  they  claim  you  as  their 
guest  for  a  few  weeks.  Before  noon  I  will  call  to 
put  your  arm  in  good  shape  and  to  attend  to  your 
face  and  head." 

The  young  man  was  deeply  affected,  even  to  tears. 
"  I  am  sorry  to  give  you  so  much  trouble,  Mr.  Ma- 
son," said  he. 

"  Not  another  word,  Arthur." 

The  young  man  was  assisted.  Shawls  were  put 
over  him,  he  gently  walked  down  and  was  met  by 
Mrs.  Mason  with  a  smile  that  touched  his  heart. 
Pillows  were  arranged,  and  he  was  placed  in  a  com- 
fortable position.  The  husband  and  wife  joined 
him,  and  the  carriage  moved  very  slowly  while  Ar- 
thur's aching  head  rested  on  the  bosom  of  Hiram 
Mason. 

At  the  Fifth  Avenue  mansion  the  young  man 
received  every  attention  that  kindness  and  affection 
could  bestow.  Here  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to 
dwell  at  length  upon  a  dozen  little  incidents  that 
occurred  during  those  few  weeks.  He  suffered 
much  bodily  pain  and  some  fever.  On  the  other 
hand  he  experienced  unspeakable  bliss  in  the  full 


Railroad  Calamity,  arid  tJien  Joy.  1 1 1 

assurance  that  his  genuine  love  for  Helen  Mason 
was  no  stronger  than  that  of  the  young  lady  for 
him,  and  that  all  this  was  in  perfect  harmony  with 
the  feelings  of  Miss  Mason's  parents. 

Arthur  in  the  early  morning  following  the  accident 
had  caused  a  dispatch  to  be  sent  to  his  mother  assur- 
ing her  that  his  injuries  were  not  serious,  and  she 
heard  from  him  almost  daily  while  he  was  an  in- 
valid. 

He  was  cordially  greeted  by  all  in  the  store  when 
he  resumed  his  duties,  and  at  the  church  there  was 
much  rejoicing  on  seeing  his  face  and  on  hearing 
his  voice  again. 

In  about  one  year  from  the  time  of  the  accident, 
and  when  that  scream  from  Helen  showed  her  nerv- 
ousness, or  something  else  expressed  in  one  syllable, 
that  fine  residence  was  crowded  with  smiling  guests. 
It  was  evident  from  the  line  of  elegant  carriages 
seen  in  that  part  of  the  fashionable  thorough- 
fare that  the  occasion  was  not  one  of  small  impor- 
tance. Judge  Mason  and  his  family  were  there. 
Mrs.  Trevor  and  her  beautiful  Alice  were  present. 
Mrs.  Armstrong  and  her  sweet  Lily  were  among 
the  guests.  Clara  Downing  and  Grace  Doyle  moved 
quickly  hither  and  thither.  There  was  a  large  rep- 
resentation from  St.  Thomas's  Church.  Under  the 
circumstances  a  clergyman  was  necessary,  and  Rev. 
Dr.  Bunting  was  chosen,  who  was  present  with  his 
amiable  wife.  The  ceremony  was  brief  and  im- 
pressive. Arthur  Trevor  and  Helen  Mason  were 
pronounced  "  husband  and  wife,  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 


1 1 2  Gold,   Tinsel  and  Trash. 

Helen  was  not  separated  from  her  parents.  In 
the  same  commodious  house  they  lived  as  one 
family,  in  the  enjoyment  of  health  and  happiness. 
Arthur  became  a  partner  in  the  business,  a  man  of 
wealth  and  great  influence.  Helen,  with  her  mother, 
continued  in  her  labor  of  love  among  the  poor,  while 
hundreds  arose  and  called  her  blessed. 


OTHER 

STORIES  OF  COUNTRY  AND  CITY. 


CHAPTER    I. 
THE  CONFERENCE. 

A  HARD  charge  was  old  Flintrock.  That  lit- 
£\  tie  word  "hard"  has  several  significations, 
especially  when  applied  to  circuits.  Sometimes  it 
conveys  the  idea  of  the  amount  of  labor  to  be 
accomplished,  sometimes  the  long  and  difficult 
distance  between  the  appointments,  and  sometimes 
it  refers  to  the  temper  and  disposition  of  the  peo- 
ple. The  word  when  applied  to  Flintrock  means 
all  of  these  together,  and  if  the  reader  can  think 
of  any  other  kind  of  "hard  "  in  all  probability 
that  old  circuit  was  then  entitled  -to  it.  At 
nearly  all  of  the  appointments  things  were  in  a 
loose  condition.  The  congregations  were  small,  and 
lacking  in  proper  attention.  Young  people  often 
trifled  during  prayer  and  preaching  and  had  gone 
unrebuked.  The  brethren,  many  of  them,  had  no 


1 14  Stories  ef  Country  and  City. 

family  altar.  The  prayer-meeting  had  a  sickly  ex- 
istence, and  the  class-meeting  was  attended  by  only 
a  few.  Financial  affairs  were  sadly  neglected,  and 
only  two  or  three  brethren  could  be  found  in  the 
official  board  that  cared  any  thing  about  the  matter. 
The  minister's  salary  was  always  put  down  at  a  low 
figure,  and  even  that  small  sum  was  never  paid  in 
full.  There  was  but  one  Methodist  church  on  the 
whole  charge,  and  that  was  at  the  village  from  which 
the  circuit  took  its  name.  But  there  were  several 
out-appointments,  where  preaching  was  had  once  in 
two  weeks  at  the  respective  school-houses.  Some 
of  these  were  not  far  from  the  village,  but  the  breth- 
ren would  carelessly  stay  at  home  until  the  "  once  in 
two  weeks"  would  come  around.  Some  of  them 
said  that  the  folks  at  the  "  Rock"  were  rather  "stuck 
up,"  and  they  were  charged  with  pride  and  exclu- 
siveness.  Official  members  would  invariably  get 
tired  of  their  minister  before  the  end  of  the  first 
year  and  demand  a  "  change."  Yes,  Flintrock  was 
a  hard  circuit,  and  the  ministers  knew  it,  and  to  be 
"read  out"  for  that  well-known  spot  was  never  con- 
sidered a  feather  in  any  body's  cap. 

The  year  had  come  to  a  close  and  the  itinerants 
were  on  their  way  to  Conference,  which  was  held 

that  year  at  N .     In  those  days  they  were  not 

conveyed  in  elegant  railroad  coaches  rushing  along 
at  the  rate  of  thirty  or  forty  miles  an  hour,  for  this 
was  over  forty  years  ago.  The  majority  of  them 
drove  their  faithful  ponies  and  were  often  two  or 
three  days  on  the  road,  stopping  at  the  houses  of 
good  Methodists,  where,  as  a  rule,  they  found  a 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit,      1 1 5 

hearty  welcome.  Well,  they  would  reach  their  des- 
tination, and  as  fellow-laborers  would  exchange 
most  friendly  salutations.  I  think  the  demon- 
stration of  good  feeling  in  those  days  was  more 
enthusiastic  than  at  our  modern  Conferences.  It 
is  possible  that  their  extensive  circuit-riding  and 
their  battles  with  winter  storms  and  oppressive 
summer  heat  were  more  conducive  to  an  overflow 
of  soul  than  are  our  modern  little  stations  and  our 
one  appointment  itinerancy.  In  richness  of  apparel 
they  were  far  behind  our  modern  preachers.  Their 
"allowance"  was  very  small,  and  in  many  instances 
it  was  not  paid.  They  flourished  no  gold  watches 
or  costly  sleeve-buttons.  Their  suits  were  plain 
both  from  principle  and  necessity. 

Among  these  hardy  sons  of  the  ministry  at  this 
Conference  was  found  John  B.  Sharp.  His  preach- 
ing talents  were  excellent,  and  with  the  ministers  he 
was  a  favorite.  He  had  the  rare  faculty  of  combin- 
ing great  plainness  of  speech  and  an  excellent  tem- 
per. In  completely  demolishing  an  opponent,  or 
in  administering  reproof  in  "words  that  burned," 
his  countenance  would  give  unmistakable  proof  of 
a  kind  spirit  and  good  intention.  While  others,  in 
softer  words,  would  give  mortal  offense,  involve 
themselves  in  trouble  and  fail  in  their  object,  Brother 
Sharp  would  gain  his  point  and  retain  the  good  will 
of  those  whom  he  rebuked.  The  appointments  he 
filled  were  not  of  the  first  class,  and  sometimes  they 
were  not  of  the  second.  There  was  something 
which  no  one  ever  knew  that  kept  him  down.  His 
inferiors  one  after  the  other  marched  into  good  sta- 


Ii6  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

tions.  This,  of  course,  he  noticed,  but  he  did  not 
complain.  He  was  cheerful  and  happy,  and  never 
asked  for  any  particular  favor  of  either  bishop  or 
presiding  elder.  For  two  years  he  had  served  the 
Fairport  appointment  with  such  a  degree  of  success 
that  the  Watchford  Station  was  very  anxious  to  se- 
cure his  services. 

Rev.  Samson  Keener  at  this  time  was  the  presid- 
ing elder  of  Sahara  District.  He  was  a  powerful 
preacher,  especially  on  points  bearing  on  distinctive 
Arminian  theology.  He  was  just  such  a  man  as 
high  Calvinists  would  be  sorry  to  meet  in  public 
debate.  Once,  before  they  knew  his  strength,  they 
made  that  mistake.  They  were  put  to  flight  with 
terrible  slaughter.  Let  not  Brother  Keener  be 
blamed  for  his  non-intercourse  with  his  preachers 
touching  their  destination.  At  that  day  among  the 
presiding  elders  that  was  considered  a  rule  clothed 
with  more  than  ordinary  sanctity  and  very  seldom 
departed  from  ;  and  if  occasionally  through  his 
nomination  and  influence  an  appointment  was  made 
that  seemed  to  be  wholly  destitute  of  human  wis- 
dom it  gave  the  people  an  opportunity  to  gaze  in 
wonder  on  the  mysterious  workings  of  that  Prov- 
idence whose  ways  are  past  finding  out. 

A  few  days  before  the  session  of  this  Conference 
two  brethren  representing  the  Quarterly  Meeting 
Conference  of  the  Watchford  Station  called  on  the 
presiding  elder,  and  the  following  conversation  took 
place : 

"  Brother  Keener,  we  have  called  to  see  you  in  re- 
gard to  our  next  minister,"  said  Brother  Candor.  "  We 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.       117 

thought  there  would  be  no  harm  in  asking  for  a  cer- 
tain brother  if  there  was  nothing  in  the  way." 

"That  is  a  very  delicate  point!"  answered  the 
elder,  looking  profoundly  solemn.  "  Your  interests 
will  be  sacredly  regarded  in  the  cabinet.  But  when 
preachers  ask  for  a  particular  charge,  and  charges 
ask  for  a  particular  preacher,  it  has  a  tendency  to 
block  the  wheels  of  our  glorious  itinerancy." 

"  Our  regard  for  the  itinerancy  is  fully  equal  to 
yours,  and  we  know  something  of  Methodist  Church 
polity,"  answered  Brother  Candor.  "  We  put  forth 
no  claim.  How  can  a  simple  and  respectful  request 
of  this  nature  have  a  tendency  to  clog  the  wheels 
of  the  itinerancy?" 

"  Brother  Candor,  with  all  due  respect  to  your 
age  and  ripe  judgment,"  said  Brother  Keener,  "I 
must  say  that  you  are  not  expected  to  know  these 
things  as  well  as  I  do.  Such  requests  give  us  a  vast 
amount  of  trouble." 

"Then,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  said  Brother 
Candor,  looking  the  presiding  elder  in  the  face, 
"you  are  released  from  all  further  trouble.  I  am 
prepared  to  go  home  and  report  this  interview  to 
my  brethren." 

"And  so  am  I,"  said  his  companion,  Brother 
Earnest,  rising,  as  if  ready  to  start. 

This  independence  was  something  that  Samson 
Keener  was  not  in  the  habit  of  encountering,  and, 
knowing  the  influence  of  these  men,  he  saw  at  once 
that  it  would  not  answer  for  them  to  leave  in  their 
present  mood,  and  he  hastened  to  give  the  interview 
a  more  friendly  turn. 


1 1 8  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  O,  no,  brethren!"  he  said,  with  some  astonish- 
ment. "  I  did  not  mean  to  cast  any  reflection  on 
you.  I  have  always  found  you  to  be  good  men  and 
true.  Who  is  the  preacher  that  you  have  in  view?" 

"John  B.  Sharp,"  was  the  answer. 

"Indeed!  Your  aspirations  are  quite  moderate," 
said  Brother  Keener.  "  Watchford  is  one  of  our 
best  stations,  and  you  are  aware  that  Brother  Sharp 
has  never  filled  that  grade  of  appointments." 

"  Yes,  we  are  well  aware  of  that,"  said  Brother 
Earnest,  "and  to  us  it  has  been  a  matter  of  wonder 
for  years  why  a  man  of  such  splendid  preaching  tal- 
ents, with  other  perfections  to  match,  has  been  kept 
away  from  our  good  stations,  while  some  of  them, 
at  least,  have  been  filled  by  men  of  very  inferior 
abilities." 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  that  has  been  the  case," 
said  the  presiding  elder,  with  evident  displeasure. 
"  You  pay  but  a  poor  compliment  to  the  combined 
wisdom  of  the  Bishop  and  presiding  elders." 

"  We  don't  deny  the  wisdom,"  said  Brother  Can- 
dor ;  "  we  only  fail  to  see  it ;  that  is  all." 

"  I  will  give  your  request  the  consideration  it 
deserves,"  said  the  elder,  with  some  stiffness  of  man- 
ner ;  and  soon  the  brethren  departed  for  their  homes. 

"  Watchford  !  Whom  do  you  nominate  for  this 
station,  Brother  Keener?"  asked  the  Bishop. 

"  Brother  Minus,"  was  the  response. 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  interfere  with  the  legitimate 
business  of  another  presiding  elder,"  said  Brother 
Fairhead,  "  but  it  seems  to  me  that  that  strong  sta- 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.       1 19 

tion  needs  a  person  of  more  commanding  pulpit 
talent  than  that  young  brother  possesses." 

"  Bishop,"  said  Brother  Keener,  "  Brother  Minus 
is  a  very  promising  young  minister;  a  fine  scholar, 
and  a  graduate  of  Middletown.  He  has  lately  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  one  of  our  wealthiest  laymen. 
Sister  Minus  is  exceedingly  kind,  amiable,  and  be- 
nevolent, as  I  know  by  experience." 

Brother  Minus  was  written  down  for  Watch  ford, 
although  several  of  the  presiding  elders  pronounced 
it  a  "  bad  fit." 

It  soon  came  around  again  to  the  Sahara  District. 

"  Whom  do  you  nominate  for  Flintrock  ?  "  asked 
the  Bishop. 

"  May  it  please  the  Chair,"  said  Brother  Keener, 
"  before  I  make  the  nomination  I  wish  to  say  a  few 
words  in  regard  to  this  circuit.  In  many  respects 
it  is  hard  to  serve.  The  majority  of  the  members 
of  the  Quarterly  Conference  are  peculiarly  consti- 
tuted, and  I  have  to  make  a  change  almost  every 
year.  They  need  a  strong  mart,  and,  fortunately, 
I  have  a  brother  on  my  District  that  will  answer 
their  purpose  exactly.  I  nominate  for  Flintrock, 
John  B.  Sharp." 

"  Bishop,"  said  Brother  Sweet,  "  I  cannot  look 
upon  that  nomination  with  favor.  Brother  Sharp 
is  one  of  our  best  preachers,  and  I  have  thought 
for  years  that  we  have  not  done  him  justice.  I 
have  a  good  station  on  my  District  where  they  would 
receive  him  with  open  arms.  He  is  a  grand  good 
man,  and  to  send  him  to  Flintrock  borders  on  the 
abusive." 


I2O  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

Much  was  said/r<?  and  con  on  this  question,  when 
at  last  the  Bishop  remarked :  "  I  am  very  confident 
that  Brother  Sharp's  worth  and  talents  are  high.  I 
am  deeply  interested  in  the  man.  Fliiitrock  has 
been  humored  until  it  has  become  insolent.  Instead 
of  yielding  to  their  unreasonable  demands  and  fool- 
ish whims  Brother  Keener  ought  to  have  adminis- 
tered to  them  a  severe  reproof.  It  is  evident  that 
the  circuit  is  cursed  with  worthless  church  officers 
who  ought  to  be  displaced  or  reformed.  I  think 
Brother  Sharp  would  do  the  work.  If  I  send  him 
there  I  want  him  to  have  his  own  way,  and  I  think 
he  will  come  forth  all  right.  But  I  will  not  appoint 
this  excellent  man  to  Flintrock  without  his  full  and 
cheerful  consent.  If  he  objects  I  will  give  him  a 
station  worthy  of  his  talents.  Brother  Keener, 
please  ask  Brother  Sharp  to  call  at  my  room  this 
evening  at  seven  o'clock." 

The  presiding  elder  could  not  instantly  make  up 
his  mind  whether  he  was  pleased  or  otherwise,  and 
so  he  left  it  an  open  question.  On  that  evening 
Brother  Sharp  had  a  long  interview  with  the  Bishop 
and  came  away  with  a  smiling  countenance. 

At  the  close  of  the  Conference  the  appointments 
were  read  in  a  clear,  distinct  voice,  and  it  was  no- 
ticed by  several  that  a  faint  smile  touched  the  Bish- 
op's lips  as  he  read,  "  Flintrock,  John  B.  Sharp.'' 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      121 

CHAPTER  II. 
THE  FIRST  WEEK  ON  OLD  FLINTROCK. 

IT  is  sad  to  think  that  nearly  all  of  the  perplex- 
ing difficulties  on  this  circuit  were  owing  chiefly 
to  the  lamentable  inefficiency  of  a  large  number  of 
its  official  members.  In  addition  to  a  lack  of  en- 
ergy they  manifested  a  spirit  of  opposition  to  every 
thing  in  the  shape  of  improvement  or  progress. 
Several  ministers  had  undertaken  in  soft  words  to 
awaken  them  from  their  stupidity,  but  they  were 
invariably  met  with  either  frowns  or  indifference. 
Their  annual  changing  of  ministers  was,  upon  the 
whole,  as  pleasing  to  the  retiring  itinerant  as  to  the 
Quarterly  Conference.  Indeed,  to  many  of  the 
preachers  who  had  served  them  this  had  constituted 
the  most  pleasing  reflection  of  the  whole  year.  In 
most  cases  they  had  been  men  of  quiet  habits,  peace- 
able disposition,  and  moderate  abilities.  They  com- 
prehended the  situation  and  saw  that  it  needed  a 
desperate  remedy  ;  but  they  lacked  the  moral  cour- 
age to  enter  the  fight.  Under  the  conviction  that 
they  were  not  adequate  for  the  emergency  they  left 
things  as  they  found  them,  and  perhaps  worse.  In 
the  seclusion  of  their  own  study  at  the  parsonage, 
when  no  official  member  or  any  one  else  was  nigh, 
they  would  often  tell  these  brethren  in  very  plain 
language  what  they  thought  of  them.  Those  were 
brave  words,  and  had  they  fallen  on  the  ears  of 
those  negligent  officials,  instead  of  those  inani- 


122  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

mate  volumes  and  papered  walls,  perhaps  they 
would  have  accomplished  some  good.  But  these 
peaceable  brethren  thought  it  was  not  advisable  to 
create  strifes,  and  hoped  that  some  one  would  yet 
find  his  way  to  Flintrock  that  would  give  these 
worthless  officials  the  shaking  they  deserved. 

These  lay  brethren,  ludicrous  as  it  may  seem,  were 
nevertheless  anxious  for  a  revival.  "  Our  paying 
members  are  dying  off,"  they  would  say,  "  and  quar- 
terage is  getting  scarce,  and  unless  we  get  a  rousing 
'  reformation  '  it  will  be  hard  to  get  the  preacher's 
pay."  Yes,  they  longed  for  a  reformation,  not  for 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls;  that 
was  not  in  their  official  line ;  neither  was  it  for  the 
sake  of  the  preacher,  but  rather  for  their  own  profit 
in  dollars  and  cents.  Where  is  the  circuit  minister 
of  long  standing  that  has  not  heard  words  like  those 
from  some  official  brethren  ?  These  men  in  the 
midst  of  their  moral  stupidity  would  clamor  for  a 
revival  and  demand  of  the  presiding  elder  to  send 
them  a  man  that  would  "  get  up  a  reformation." 

Here  it  may  be  well  to  let  the  reader  have  a  little 
knowledge  of  some  of  the  members  of  the  Flintrock 
Quarterly  Conference. 

Brother  Goodier  was  a  steward  and  class-leader, 
a  man  of  some  wealth,  and  a  devoted  Christian.  He 
was  liberal  in  his  contributions,  active  in  every  de- 
partment of  the  work,  and  a  regular  reader  of  the 
church  paper. 

Brother  Tighter  was  a  wealthy  steward,  but  paid 
no  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  office.  He  was  a 
penurious  worldling.  The  support  he  gave  the  Gos- 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      123 

pel  was  shamefully  meager.  He  took  no  church 
paper,  and  his  house  had  no  family  altar. 

Brother  Pompey  was  also  a  steward,  and  a  very 
loud  talker.  He  was  of  a  swaggering  disposition, 
quite  illiterate,  and  abounding  in  slang  expressions. 
He  was  just  as  apt  to  be  in  the  right  as  in  the  wrong. 
There  was  in  him  a  vein  of  kindness,  and  he  was 
not  stingy.  He  took  no  church  paper. 

Brother  Sly  was  also  a  steward,  and  always  ren- 
dered a  cheerful  assistance  in  keeping  down  the 
preacher's  salary  to  the  lowest  figure.  He  was 
known  among  the  young  people  as  "  Old  Human 
Natur',' '  on  account  of  his  never-failing  habit  of  using 
that  term  in  all  of  his  conversations.  Of  course  he 
took  no  church  periodical. 

Brother  Gruntly  was  a  class-leader,  but  fortu- 
nately he  never  officiated  in  that  line.  He  always 
conferred  that  honor  upon  the  preacher.  He  was 
much  given  to  grumbling  and  was  at  home  in  fault- 
finding. No  Advocate  in  his  house. 

Brother  Trembly  was  a  good  man  in  his  way,  but 
greatly  lacking  in  moral  courage.  In  the  official 
meeting  he  would  quietly  submit  to  wrong  meas- 
ures rather  than  come  in  contact  with  the  majority. 
His  wife  insisted  on  having  the  Advocate. 

Brother  Wiser  was  an  excellent  class-leader  and 
steward,  and  always  stood  with  Brother  Goodier  for 
reform,  and  was  invariably  voted  down.  He  had 
taken  the  Advocate  from  its  origin. 

There  were  others  in  the  official  board  but  they 
were  indifferent,  or  even  worse  than  that. 

Brother  Goodier  had  just  returned  from  Confer- 


124  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

ence,  which  he  generally  attended  if  not  too  far 
away.  No  sooner  was  he  seated  than  his  daughter, 
a  beautiful  young  lady  of  eighteen,  said  : 

"  And  now,  dear  papa,  tell  us  who  is  to  be  our 
minister  for  this  year.  I  am  almost  afraid  to  hear. 
But,  whoever  he  may  be,  he  will  be  better  than  we 
deserve." 

"  Ella,"  said  her  father  with  a  look  she  failed  to 
comprehend,  "  when  I  tell  you  his  name  you  will  be 
perfectly  astonished." 

"  Well,  we  may  as  well  learn  our  fate  at  once," 
said  she,  "  let  us  hear  his  name." 

"  My  child,"  said  the  father,  "  you  will  be  glad 
to  hear  that  we  are  to  have  Brother  Sharp." 

"  What !  John  B.  Sharp  !"  cried  the  girl  in  utter 
astonishment. 

"  That  is  the  very  name,"  said  her  father. 

Ella  in  ecstasy  ran  up  stairs  to  impart  the  news 
to  her  mother.  They  both  came  down  smiling. 
"  What  a  strange  thing  to  send  that  splendid  man 
to  this  place !"  said  Mrs.  Goodier.  "  I  am  afraid 
that  he  feels  sore  about  it." 

"  No,  he  cheerfully  consented  to  come,"  said  the 
father.  "  It  is  all  right." 

Here  Walter,  the  son,  a  young  man  of  twenty, 
came  in  with  the  closing  part  of  old  "  Denmark  " 
on  his  musical  lips,  to  which  he  did  splendid  justice, 

"  Firm  as  a  rock  His  truth  shall  stand, 
When  rolling  years  shall  cease  to  move." 

"  O,  Walter  !"  cried  his  sister;  "  guess  whom  we 
are  going  to  have  for  our  new  minister." 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.       125 

"  Some  one  we  don't  deserve,  as  I  learn  from 
your  laughing  eyes,"  said  Walter.  "  I  pity  him 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart." 

"  What  would  you  say,  Walter,  if  I  were  to  tell 
you  that  John  B.  Sharp  was  the  man?"  asked  the 
sister,  with  a  sly  look. 

"  I  would  say  that  Miss  Ella  Goodier  was  for 
once  indulging  in  the  most  improbable  fiction," 
said  the  brother. 

"  And  yet,  in  sober  earnestness,  he  is  the  very 
person,"  said  Ella. 

The  brother  for  a  while  looked  upon  his  sister  in 
silent  astonishment,  and  then,  turning  to  his  father, 
said : 

"  Father,  what  does  this  mean  ?  I  am  really 
astonished.  Well,  John  B.  has  a  mind  of  his  own 
and  the  courage  of  a  lion.  He  would  not  be  afraid 
to  meet  a  whole  regiment  of  devils.  If  I  am  not 
mistaken  there  will  be  some  sharp  words  on  Old 
Flintrock  between  this  and  next  Conference." 

The  new  minister  arrived  in  due  time,  and  for 
a  few  days,  with  his  wife  and  two  daughters,  was 
entertained  at  the  friendly  residence  of  Brother 
Goodier,  with  whom  he  was  well  acquainted.  From 
this  faithful  steward  he  gained  all  the  information 
that  he  could  desire  touching  the  temporal  and 
spiritual  condition  of  the  charge. 

"  These  are  discouraging  truths  to  reveal  to  our 
new  minister,"  said  Brother  Goodier,  with  tears  in 
his  eyes. 

"  I  was  fully  aware  that  things  were  in  a  bad  shape 
when  I  consented  to  come,"  said  Brother  Sharp. 


126  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  I  am  constantly  praying  for  wisdom  to  move  in 
harmony  with  the  will  of  God.  I  shall  endeavor  to 
be  kind  to  all,  but  at  the  same  time  I  must  lift  up 
the  standard  of  Christian  holiness,  and  stand  by  the 
'•equirements  of  our  Church  Discipline.  I  have  a 
very  comfortable  assurance  that  my  labors  will  be 
blessed  in  reclaiming  the  backslidden  and  in  the  con- 
version of  souls.1' 

On  Sabbath  morning  at  Flintrock  the  congrega- 
tion was  very  large.  The  minister  delivered  his 
message  with  "  energy  and  power."  He  had  perfect 
liberty,  and  the  sermon  produced  a  strong  impres- 
sion. At  the  close  of  the  last  hymn  he  asked  the 
congregation  to  be  seated,  as  he  had  a  few  more 
words  to  say  in  which  he  was  sure  they  would  be 
interested. 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  deep  and  respectful  atten- 
tion you  have  paid  this  morning  to  the  preached 
word.  Your  earnest,  solemn  countenances  prove  to 
me  that  you  come  to  the  house  of  God  to  hear  the 
Gospel,  and  not  to  satisfy  your  curiosity  by  gazing 
on  a  stranger.  After  having  thus  spoken  in  your 
praise  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  to  this  general  atten- 
tion and  solemnity  there  has  been  a  slight  excep- 
tion. Throughout  the  service  I  have  been  greatly 
annoyed,  and  so  have  others,  by  the  rude  and  tri- 
fling behavior  of  four  young  persons  in  the  gal- 
lery. Such  conduct  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  can- 
not be  tolerated,  and  I  would  kindly  entreat  those 
young  persons  from  henceforth  to  abstain  from  be- 
havior that  is  not  only  a  violation  of  all  the  prin- 
ciples of  good  manners  but  also  displeasing  to  God. 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.       127 

I  hope  these  words  will  be  kindly  received  ;  but  let 
it  be  clearly  understood,  and  you  are  at  liberty  to 
proclaim  it  far  and  near,  that  no  rude  behavior  in 
the  sanctuary  during  divine  service  shall  go  unre- 
buked." 

The  benediction  was  pronounced  and  the  people 
went  to  their  homes.  The  closing  remarks  of  the 
minister  gave  great  satisfaction  to  all  except  the 
very  few  whom  we  shall  mention  hereafter.  He 
was  praised  for  his  noble  decision,  and  in  the  class- 
meeting,  in  which  he  was  not  present,  there  was  a 
general  good  feeling  as  the  result  of  their  first  Sab- 
bath service. 

In  the  afternoon  the  minister  had  an  appointment 
at  the  "Yellow  School-house,"  about  four  miles  from 
the  village.  The  house  was  full.  The  aspect  of  the 
congregation  was  less  intelligent  and  less  thoughtful 
than  at  the  village.  They  had  a  choir  made  up  o£ 
young  people,  who  evidently  "  magnified  their 
office."  The  minister  spoke  with  great  freedom  and 
power.  The  general  attention  was  good,  but  the 
singers  behaved  badly.  There  was  the  irrepressible 
whisper  and  winking,  and  they  went  so  far  as  to  ex- 
change views  on  slips  of  paper,  and  Brother  Sharp, 
only  in  fewer  words  than  at  the  church,  spoke  of  the 
trifling  spirit  manifested  on  the  part  of  a  few,  and 
hoped  he  would  never  witness  the  like  again. 

After  class-meeting  he  went  home  with  Brother 
and  Sister  Gruntly,  who  lived  close  by.  They  were 
sociable  and  friendly,  but  there  appeared  to  be  an 
effort  about  it,  and  it  was  evident  that  their  minds 
were  not  at  perfect  ease.  Tea  was  soon  ready  and 


128  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

the  minister  was  invited  to  sit  at  the  table  in  another 
room.  As  he  entered  the  dining-room  he  noticed 
the  exit  of  a  young  lady  into  the  kitchen  on  whose 
countenance  rested  something  very  much  like  a 
frown.  He  noticed  also  that  this  young  woman 
was  one  of  those  who  had  figured  prominently  in 
the  school-house  choir. 

The  meal  was  progressing,  while  the  conversa- 
tion lagged. 

"  Where  is  Sallie  ?"  asked  the  father,  looking 
around. 

"  Sallie  wishes  to  be  excused,"  said  the  mother,  a 
little  stiffly. 

"  Methodism  is  not  what  it  was  when  I  was  a 
boy,  Brother  Sharp,"  said  Brother  Gruntly,  in  a  tone 
far  from  being  cheerful. 

"  For  which  I  am  very  thankful,"  said  Brother 
Sharp.  "  We  certainly  ought  to  have  made  some 
fine  advancement  in  forty  years,  and  I  am  glad  to 
know  that  we  are  progressing  finely." 

"  I  guess  we  have  been  progressing  back- 
ward," said  the  man  of  the  house,  and  he  smiled 
in  view  of  what  he  considered  a  very  happy 
hit. 

"  No.  Our  course  is  onward  and  upward  in  every 
respect,"  said  the  minister.  "  We  are  progressing 
splendidly  in  piety,  education,  and  liberality.  Have 
you  read  Dr.  Banks's  article  on  that  point  in  the  last 
Advocate?" 

11 1  don't  take  the  Advocate,"  was  the  answer. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  think  if  you 
were  well  posted  in  regard  to  the  working  of  our 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      129 

Church  you  would  never  say  again  that  we  were 
progressing  backward." 

"  There  is  too  much  pride  in  the  Church,"  was  his 
next. 

"  If  there  is  any,  of  course  there  is  too  much," 
was  the  answer.  "  But  was  not  that  the  complaint 
when  you  were  a  boy?  According  to  the  number 
there  was  as  much  pride  in  the  Church  then  as  there 
is  now,  although  it  did  not  show  itself  in  the  same 
way." 

"  Then  we  didn't  build  costly  churches  with  soft 
cushioned  seats  and  worldly  fixings,"  said  Brother 
Gruntly,  with  the  conviction  that  he  had  made  a 
point. 

"  That  was  owing  to  poverty,  and  not  humility," 
said  the  preacher.  "  I  believe  that  God  is  well 
pleased  with  well-furnished  churches  if  the  people 
are  able  to  build  such.  As  to  seats,  I  don't  see 
why  it  is  worse  to  sit  on  cushions  in  church  than  at 
home,"  pointing  smilingly  to  a  finely-cushioned 
rocking-chair  near  by. 

The  meal  was  over,  and  the  company  returned  to 
the  parlor  to  give  room  to  Sallie,  who  soon  resumed 
authority. 

"  Well,  Brother  Sharp,  you  gave  us  a  powerful 
sermon  and  no  mistake,  but  I  fear  that  what  you 
said  afterward  will  break  up  the  choir,"  said  Bro- 
ther Gruntly,  feeling  relieved  after  a  performance 
he  somewhat  dreaded. 

"  It  would  be  a  blessing  to  the  Church  if  all  such 
choirs  were  broken  up  at  once,"  said  Brother  Sharp, 

without  the  least  hesitation.     "  They  are  a  moral 
9 


130  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

nuisance.  A  thousand  times  better  to  have  no 
singing  than  that  offered  by  those  who  have  not 
sufficient  regard  for  divine  worship  to  conduct  them- 
selves with  decency.  I  am  always  glad  to  encour- 
age well-disposed  and  well-behaved  young  people 
in  their  efforts  to  sustain  a  choir,  but  when  they 
fancy  that  being  in  a  choir  gives  them  a  license  to 
trifle,  giggle,  and  pass  written  slips  of  paper  around 
during  divine  service  they  should  be  undeceived  at 
once.  Such  choirs,  where  I  have  any  thing  to  say, 
unless  they  alter  their  ways,  will  certainly  be  broken 
up.  Singing  is  a  part  of  our  public  worship,  and 
should  never  be  conducted  by  a  class  of  irreligious 
triflers.  If  they  reform,  and  behave  themselves, 
well.  If  otherwise,  I  shall  consider  myself  doing 
God's  service  in  breaking  up  the  choir." 

These  words  may  seem  to  the  reader  as  having 
been  spoken  on  a  high  key,  with  an  animated  coun- 
tenance and  corresponding  gestures.  This  was  not 
the  case.  They  flowed  smoothly  over  the  smiling 
lips  of  the  minister  in  gentle  accents,  and  Brother 
and  Sister  Gruntly  were  astonished  to  listen  to  such 
strong  language  in  such  a  mild  spirit. 

Here  the  conversation  ended,  and  soon  the  faith- 
ful itinerant  was  on  his  way  toward  the  evening  ap- 
pointment at  "  Coon's  Hollow,"  five  miles  away. 

The  school-house  was  well  filled.  They  had  a 
well-trained  choir,  who  paid  the  most  respectful  at- 
tention, and  from  first  to  last  there  was  nothing 
that  approached  levity  or  rudeness.  The  minister 
was  happy  in  his  work,  and  at  the  close  of  the  meet- 
ing two  young  men  rose  for  prayers. 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.       131 

After  the  service  the  preacher  went  home  with 
Brother  Wiser,  where  he  remained  that  night.  The 
family  consisted  of  the  parents,  two  sons,  and  one 
daughter.  The  sons  were  hardy  young  farmers, 
free  from  all  bad  habits,  but  as  yet  had  not  em- 
braced religion.  John  was  twenty-five  and  George 
twenty-one.  Julia  was  eighteen,  fair  in  form  and 
features,  with  a  well-developed  mind  and  a  de- 
voted Christian  heart.  The  family  was  universally 
respected.  Brother  Sharp  was  perfectly  at  home 
under  their  hospitable  roof,  and  found  to  the  joy  of 
his  soul  that  Old  Flintrock  Circuit  could  boast  of 
some  bright  jewels. 

The  next  morning,  soon  after  breakfast,  the  new 
pastor,  with  a  heart  full  of  the  consolation  of  the 
Gospel,  was  on  his  way  toward  the  village,  where 
loving  hearts  waited  for  his  return. 

The  closing  remarks  on  Sabbath  morning,  although 
highly  pleasing  to  the  congregation  at  large,  did  not 
give  satisfaction  to  all.  The  four  young  persons  allud- 
ed to  were  Frank  Pompey,  William  Sly,  Grace  and 
Charity  Tighter.  The  three  brethren,  from  what 
they  had  already  heard,  were  well  aware  that  their 
children  were  the  objects  of  the  minister's  remarks. 
But  instead  of  standing  by  their  faithful  pastor  they 
secretly  cherished  a  degree  of  hardness.  In  point  of 
property  they  stood  on  something  of  an  elevation, 
and  their  children  figured  in  what  they  considered 
good  society,  and  never  before  had  they  been  re- 
ferred to  as  lacking  in  good  manners.  It  is  true  he 
had  not  pointed  his  finger  toward  them,  but  all  knew 


132  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

whom  he  meant.  The  fathers,  however,  were  at  a 
loss  how  to  exhibit  their  resentment.  They  knew 
that  the  minister  had  made  a  very  favorable  impres- 
sion on  the  audience,  but  this  bold  movement  of  his 
which  touched  their  family  pride  must  not  pass 
without  further  notice.  They  did  not  stay  in  the 
class-meeting,  they  hardly  ever  did,  and,  living  in 
the  same  neighborhood,  they  slowly  walked  together 
toward  home. 

"  Well,"  said  Brother  Tighter,  in  carefully  meas- 
ured words,  "  we  have  a  man  that  can  preach,  there 
is  no  mistake  about  that." 

"  I  like  his  sermon  tip-top,"  said  Brother  Pompey, 
in  a  loud  voice.  "Brother  Humbler  can't  hold  a 
candle  to  him.  Didn't  he  rattle  it  off,  though!  I 
thought  I  was  going  to  like  him  first  rate.  But  I 
don't  know.  I  don't  think  it  looked  well  for  a 
stranger  like  him  to  come  down  on  our  young  folks 
like  a  thousand  o'  brick.  If  he  had  left  well  enough 
alone  and  pronounced  the  benediction  it  would  have 
been  some  dollars  in  his  pocket,  I'll  bet  you  on  that. 
He  gave  us  a  good  pail  of  milk  and  then  kicked  it 
all  over." 

"The  brother  don't  understand  human  natur', 
that's  sartin,"  said  Brother  Sly.  "Supposin'  they 
was  a  little  mischievous.  Sakes  alive!  what  of  it? 
It  ain't  in  the  natur'  of  youngsters  to  sit  stock  still 
as  we  do.  A  preacher  ought  to  understand  human 
natur'.  If  he  gets  the  young  people  mad  he  will 
get  a  mighty  slim  donation." 

"  If  the  brother  knew  that  his  remarks  was  going 
to  hurt  the  feelings  of  members  of  the  official  board," 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flint  rock  Circuit.      133 

said  Brother  Tighter,  well  pleased  with  the  remarks 
of  his  companions,  "I  think  he  wouldn't  speak  as 
he  did.  I  guess  he  will  be  glad  to  explain  matters 
a  little  more  to  our  liking." 

"  When  it  comes  handy  I  will  give  him  a  piece  of 
my  mind  and  tell  him  what's  what,"  said  Brother 
Pompey. 

"  He  is  to  call  at  my  house  to-morrow  afternoon," 
said  Brother  Tighter,  "  and  if  you  and  Brother  Sly 
should  happen  to  come  around  about  that  time  we 
may  tell  the  brother  something  that  will  do  him 
good." 

"All  right,"  said  Pompey.  "  Let  us  happen  to  be 
around  about  that  time.  Ha,  ha!  Happen,  eh? 
Sly,  will  you  be  on  hand  ?" 

"  I'll  try  to,"  was  the  answer.  "  I  don't  know  as 
I'll  have  any  thing  to  offer,  but  I  do  hope  that  our 
minister  will  study  human  natur'." 

They  had  now  reached  a  point  of  the  road  where 
they  had  to  separate,  and  each  went  to  his  home. 


CHAPTER    III. 
BROTHER  POMPEY  GETS  THE  WORSE  OF  IT. 

nT7T7ATCHMAN,  what  of  the  night?"  asked 
V  V     Brother  Goodier,  with    his  ever-welcome 
smile,  when  Brother  Sharp    returned    on    Monday 
morning. 

"The  day  is  breaking,  bless  the  Lord!"  was  the 
cheerful,  ready  answer.     "  I  am  happy  in  my  work. 


134  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

At  the  Hollow  two  anxious  souls  rose  for  prayers, 
and  the  signs  are  glorious!" 

"  At  that  appointment  we  have  some  of  our  best 
members,"  said  Brother  Goodier.  "  They  pull  to- 
gether in  every  good  measure.  How  did  things 
appear  at  the  Yellow  School-house?" 

"  With  the  exception  of  their  choir,  who  behaved 
badly,  every  thing  looked  favorable,"  was  the  reply. 
"  As  in  the  morning,  I  delivered  a  short  message  on 
that  point.  I  think  there  will  be  no  occasion  for 
repeating  it." 

"  May  Heaven  bless  you  for  your  prompt  and  fear- 
less course!"  said  the  class-leader. 

"  It  will  all  come  out  right  in  the  end,"  said  the 
minister.  "  I  trust  that  my  plainness  of  speech  will 
always  flow  from  a  kind  heart.  From  a  few  I  may 
meet  with  coldness  and  even  opposition,  but  it  will 
be  of  short  duration,  and  the  end  will  be  glorious.  I 
look  for  a  revival." 

"Amen!"  loudly  responded  Brother  Goodier, 
who  seemed  to  drink  in  the  spirit  of  his  pastor. 
"  Old  Flintrock  Circuit  has  not  seen  a  revival  in 
many  years,  but  I  believe  it  is  coming.  Bless  the 
Lord!" 

In  the  afternoon,  in  harmony  with  his  promise,  the 
minister  walked  as  far  as  Brother  Tighter's  mansion. 
The  girls  saw  him  approaching  and  felt  somewhat 
inclined  to  shun  him,  but,  having  understood  from 
their  father  that  his  remarks  at  the  close  of  the  ser- 
mon were  to  be  criticised  by  Brother  Pompey  and 
Brother  Sly,  they  concluded  to  remain. 

Notwithstanding   their    parents'    sympathy   and 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      135 

their  own  wounded  pride,  there  was  in  their  minds 
all  the  time  the  uncomfortable  secret  conviction 
that  the  minister  was  right  and  that  they  were 
wrong.  Sometimes  this  inward  impression  would 
assume  shape,  and  laugh  at  the  inconsistency  of 
Methodist  parents  in  upholding  their  children  in 
wrong-doing.  Still,  they  tried  to  hope  that  the  new 
minister  would  be  somewhat  punished  during  the 
interview.  They  had  some  fears  that  he  would 
recognize  them  as  the  disturbers  of  the  meeting, 
but  they  concluded  that  he  would  not.  Their  con- 
clusion was  correct. 

Sister  Tighter  had  some  noble  qualities.  In  her 
younger  days  she  had  enjoyed  much  of  the  power 
of  religion  and  was  a  real  worker  in  the  church. 
Of  late  years  she  had  in  a  great  measure  lost  her 
spirituality,  and  with  her  husband  had  become  some- 
what worldly.  Still  she  had  great  respect  for  the 
cause  of  God.  Her  daughters  were  her  heart's  great 
treasure,  and  in  justice  to  the  young  women  let  it  be 
said  that,  notwithstanding  their  levity  in  the  sanc- 
tuary, they  possessed  many  valuable  traits  of  char- 
acter. 

Brother  Sharp  was  met  at  the  door  by  Sister 
Tighter,  who  received  him  with  faultless  politeness 
and  with  a  very  fair  imitation  of  cordiality.  The  keen 
eye  of  the  experienced  minister  saw  in  a  moment 
that  every  thing  was  not  exactly  right.  He  was 
introduced  to  the  daughters,  who,  in  spite  of  their 
efforts  to  appear  composed,  showed  much  nervous- 
ness. But  by  the  perfect  and  charming  ease  of 
Brother  Sharp  and  the  fascinating  nature  of  his 


136  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

conversation,  they  soon  regained  their  natural- 
ness. Brother  Tighter,  in  view  of  what  was  to 
transpire,  did  not  fully  succeed  in  throwing  off 
restraint. 

The  conversation  was  going  on  with  fair  success, 
depending  mostly  on  the  ready  abundance  of  the 
new  pastor,  when  Brothers  Pompey  and  Sly  hap- 
pened to  come.  They  had  also  happened  to  put  on 
their  "Sunday  suits,"  in  anticipation  of  happening 
to  meet  the  new  minister.  After  a  formal  introduc- 
tion Brother  Sharp  saw  at  once  that  their  coming 
was  not  accidental. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,"  said  Brother  Pompey.  "  Hope 
for  better  acquaintance.  Somehow  or  'nother  I 
didn't  get  a  fair  chance  to  speak  to  you  yesterday." 

"  Perhaps  you  expected  to  meet  me  in  the  class- 
meeting,"  said  the  minister,  in  true  honesty.  "  My 
afternoon  appointment  did  not  grant  me  that  great 
pleasure." 

This  was  an  unintentional  shot  that  was  felt  by 
others  than  Brother  Pompey,  and,  no  reply  being 
convenient,  there  was  a  short  pause. 

"  You  had  a  rousing  congregation  and  no  mis- 
take," said  Pompey,  in  a  loud  voice,  "and  you  gave 
us  an  all-fired  smart  sermon.  There  is  no  going 
back  on  that.  We  think  that  old  Samson  Keener 
is  a  pretty  big  gun,  but  I  guess  the  old  fellow's  got 
to  cave  in." 

To  this  speech  the  minister  seemed  to  be  perfectly 
indifferent.  He  neither  smiled  nor  frowned,  but 
looked  very  much  as  if  nothing  had  been  said ;  but 
in  his  mind  he  was  weighing  and  measuring  the  man 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      137 

who  had  let  loose  such  a  volume  of  sound.  His 
estimate  was  exceedingly  correct. 

"  A  large  portion  of  the  audience  was  made  up 
of  young  people,"  said  Brother  Tighter,  preparing 
the  way.  "  I  don't  know  when  I  have  seen  so  many 
of  that  class  together  before." 

"And  upon  the  whole,"  said  the  minister,  "a 
more  earnest  and  attentive  company  of  young  peo- 
ple I  scarcely  ever  witnessed." 

"Gracious!  elder,"  cried  Brother  Pompey,  on 
an  elevated  key,  "that  don't  jibe  exactly  with  that 
setting  out  you  gave  them  before  you  pronounced 
the  blessing." 

"  It  harmonizes  exactly  with  what  I  said  yester- 
day," said  Brother  Sharp,  in  a  pleasant  tone  of  voice. 
"The  'setting  out,'  as  you  -call  it,  referred  to  only 
four  persons  in  that  large  assembly." 

Here  the  two  sisters  blushed. 

"Young  people  are  easily  offended,"  said  Brother 
Sly,  "  and  it  is  a  great  thing  in  a  minister  to  under- 
stand human  natur'." 

"Young  people  are  not  easily  offended,"  said 
Brother  Sharp,  in  his  earnest  style.  "  They  are  not 
nearly  as  sensitive  as  those  who  are  advanced  in 
years.  They  often  get  out  of  the  way,  but  as  a 
general  thing  they  are  not  obstinate  and  mulish. 
As  to  human  nature,  I  have  studied  it  all  my  life, 
and  I  think  that  I  understand  it  pretty  well.  As  a 
proof  that  I  have  some  knowledge  in  that  line  I 
will  simply  say  that  your  object  in  meeting  me  here 
to-day  is  to  call  me  to  an  account  for  what  I  said 
yesterday." 


138  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

This  was  said  in  a  manner  so  gentle  and  kind  that 
it  had  a  double  effect.  They  were  completely  taken 
back,  and  even  Pompeyfelt  his  courage  giving  way. 
He  soon  rallied,  however,  and  said,  "  Well,  I  guess 
the  elder  has  hit  it  this  time.  Tighter  thought  that 
this  'ere  matter  ought  to  be  talked  over  a  little  ;  and 
without  going  around  Robin  Hood's  barn  I  am 
going  to  tell  you  at  once  that  that  speech  of  your'n 
at  the  close  of  the  meeting  don't  set  very  easy  on 
some  minds." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  that,  Brother  Pompey," 
said  the  minister,  with  his  usual  smiling  ease. 
"  Speeches  and  sermons  that  sit  easy  don't  do 
much  good." 

"  But  I  mean  that  our  young  folks  can't  be  lect- 
ured in  that  way  without  getting  riley,"  said  Pom- 
pey, "and  if  you  get  the  youngsters  down  on  you 
then  you  are  a  goner,  and  we  thought  we  would 
better  tell  you." 

"  I  have  been  eighteen  years  in  the  ministry,  and 
my  experience  with  young  people  has  been  quite 
extensive,"  said  Brother  Sharp.  "  I  have  never  per- 
mitted rude  behavior  in  the  house  of  God  to  pass 
by  unmentioned,  and  I  never  shall.  I  have  had  no 
occasion  to  mention  the  subject  to  the  same  con- 
gregation more  than  once.  It  will  be  so  on  this 
charge  if  older  heads  do  not  interfere.  Don't  you 
borrow  trouble  about  me.  The  Lord  may  have 
given  me  as  well  as  yourselves  a  fair  degree  of  com- 
mon sense.  The  young  people  referred  to  will  be 
all  right  in  a  short  time  unless  they  are  injured  by 
bad  advice  and  bad  examples  from  those  who  are 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flint  rock  Circuit.      139 

older.  They  may  not  have  had  the  religious  train- 
ing that  your  children  have  had.  They  may  have 
been  brought  up  in  families  where  there  are  no  family 
altars.  I  most  earnestly  desire  their  salvation." 

"  We  were  only  thinking,"  said  Brother  Tighter, 
"  that  if  the  young  people  should  go  against  you 
your  quarterage  would  come  middlin'  kind  of  hard." 

"  Brother  Tighter,"  said  the  minister,  with  a  broad 
smile,  bordering  on  a  laugh,  "  the  young  people 
will  not  go  against  me.  They  never  did  and  they 
never  will.  As  to  quarterage,  that  shall  never  pre- 
vent me  from  doing  my  whole  duty.  I  am  not 
troubled  about  it  in  the  least.  My  support  will 
come  plentifully.  If  it  does  not  come  through  you 
stewards  it  will  come  in  another  way." 

"  That  sounds  kind  o'  independent,"  said  Brother 
Pompey. 

"  Not  at  all,"  was  the  reply;  "  I  depend  on  God 
and  I  have  faith  in  the  people." 

"We  find  it  pretty  hard  scratching  to  pay  the 
ministers,"  said  Pompey,  "  and  it  ain't  allus  they 
get  paid  up." 

"  And  we  ministers  know  it,"  said  the  preacher. 
"  Flintrock  is  understood  to  be  the  meanest  circuit 
in  the  Conference.  You  never  pay  your  ministers, 
and  there  is  an  impression  among  our  preachers 
that  the  majority  of  the  official  brethren  don't  care 
whether  they  are  paid  up  or  not." 

"  Do  you  have  that  impression,  Brother  Sharp  ?  " 
asked  Brother  Tighter. 

o 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  was  the  answer.  "  How  can  I  have 
any  other  impression  ?  It  is  indifference  on  the 


140  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

part  of  stewards  that  causes  this  perpetual  deficiency. 
I  know  that  a  few  do  the  best  they  can  ;  the  rest 
are  drones.  Think  you  that  on  this  large  circuit, 
with  all  its  wealth,  the  small  pittance  of  four  hun- 
dred dollars  could  not  be  raised  by  men  who  had  a 
heart  in  the  work  and  the  welfare  of  the  minister 
in  view?  And  another  thing  that  shows  indiffer- 
ence or  penuriousness,  or  both,  is  the  shamefully- 
small  sum  paid  by  wealthy  members  of  the  official 
board." 

"  I  swan  !  that  is  plain  talk  for  a  new-comer,  " 
said  Pompey ;  "  I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  it. 
How  you  can  give  it  to  us  right  and  left  in  that  way 
and  still  keep  as  cool  as  a  cucumber  is  more  than 
I  can  understand." 

"  With  such  an  opinion  of  us,"  said  Tighter,  "  it 
must  have  been  very  painful  for  you  to  come  among 
us." 

"  I  was  consulted  by  the  Bishop  in  regard  to  it  at 
an  early  part  of  the  Conference,"  said  the  minister. 
"  He  would  not  have  sent  me  here  without  my  full 
consent.  If  I  had  said  no,  he  would  have  given  me 
one  of  the  best  stations  in  the  Conference.  I  said 
yes,  and  came  to  Flintrock." 

"  Now,  if  that  don't  beat  all  creation  !  "  cried  Pom- 
pey. "  What  do  you  think  of  that,  Tighter  ?  " 

"  And  you  have  no  doubt  in  regard  to  your  quar- 
terage ?  "  asked  Brother  Tighter,  without  paying 
any  attention  to  Pompey. 

"  Not  a  bit,"  said  Brother  Sharp  ;  "  I  have  faith  in 
God  and  I  have  faith  in  the  people." 

"  The  people  will  do  fust  rate  if  they  are  carefully 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      141 

handled,"  said  Brother  Sly  ;  "  it  is  not  every  minister 
that  understands  human  natur'." 

"  Well,"  said  Pompey,  "  somehow  or  'nother  we 
hain't  stuck  exactly  to  the  point.  Brother  Sharp 
don't  soften  down  the  least  mite  on  what  he  said 
yesterday.  It's  too  all-killing  bad  to  have  the  young 
people  turn  against  him  at  the  very  start." 

"  Brother  Pompey,"  said  the  minister,  "  I  will 
ask  you  one  question.  Do  you  positively  know 
of  even  one  young  person  that  is  offended  with 
what  I  said  yesterday,  aside  from  those  four  I  re- 
ferred to?  " 

"  Well,  when  it  comes  to  knowin'  for  sartin,"  said 
Pompey,  with  some  embarrassment,  "  I  can't  say 
that  I  do." 

"  I  will  ask  another  question.  Do  you  really  be- 
lieve that  any  other  young  persons  are  grieved  with 
my  words?  " 

"  Hokie  !  "  said  Pompey,  in  the  vain  endeavor  to 
extricate  himself,  "  the  elder  would  make  a  smash- 
ing lawyer.  I  guess  he  would  make  out  a  case  right 
or  wrong." 

"  But  you  don't  answer  the  question,"  said  the 
smiling  minister. 

"  Well,  let  me  see  ;  what  was  it  ?  O,  yes.  Wai, 
since  you  squeeze  a  fellow  right  down  to  it,  I  guess  I 
may  as  well  own  up  that  I  don't  really  believe  that 
any  of  the  young  folks  was  hurt  except  those  young- 
sters that  thought  they  would  have  a  little  fun," 
said  Brother  Pompey,  wiping  his  face.  "  But  I 
reckon  it  is  time  for  me  to  be  moving ;  it  is  pretty 
near  milking-time." 


142  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  It  is  the  same  with  me,"  said  Brother  Sly,  look- 
ing for  his  hat. 

"  Before  these  good  brethren  leave,"  said  Brother 
Sharp,  "  let  us  have  a  word  of  prayer.  We  have 
pleasantly  conversed  together  in  regard  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  Church  of  Christ.  In  these  matters 
we  are  to  seek  wisdom  of  the  Lord.  It  gives  me 
pleasure  to  meet  with  you,  and  I  trust  that  our  com- 
ing together  thus  will  be  blessed  of  the  Lord.  Brother 
Tighter,  are  these  young  ladies  in  the  church  ?" 

"  No,  they  have  not  yet  made  a  start,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  said  the  minister,  with  a  look  that 
was  all  kindness  and  Christian  love.  "  How  much 
good  they  might  accomplish  if  they  would  only  give 
their  young  hearts  to  the  Saviour  !  Young  ladies,  I 
hope  to  see  you  genuinely  converted  to  God.  We 
will  now  call  upon  our  heavenly  Father." 

The  sisters  had  been  attentive  listeners  to  all 
that  had  been  said,  and  from  his  first  sentence  the 
minister  had  continued  to  gain  in  their  estimation, 
and  more  than  once  their  cheeks  burned  with  shame 
as  they  thought  of  their  behavior  in  the  house  of 
God.  The  words  of  Brother  Pompey  had  never 
sounded  to  them  so  decidedly  flat,  and  they  were 
pleased  to  see  his  embarrassment.  They  firmly  re- 
solved that  they  had  trifled  in  the  sanctuary  for  the 
last  time.  The  preacher's  few  words  addressed  to 
them  before  engaging  in  devotion  had  reached  their 
hearts,  and  although  they  had  not  bowed  in  prayer 
for  many  years  they  knelt  down  as  if  drawn  by 
some  magic  power. 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      143 

The  prayer  was  deeply  impressive.  With  holy 
ardor  the  man  of  God  implored  the  divine  Spirit  to 
rest  upon  all  present  and  upon  the  Church  of  Christ. 
He  remembered  the  unconverted,  and  especially  the 
young  people.  There  were  no  vocal  responses. 
From  that  company  they  could  not  be  expected. 
But  when  the  prayer  was  ended  there  was  a  moist- 
ure in  those  sisters'  eyes  which  Brother  Pompey  no- 
ticed with  perfect  astonishment. 

The  two  officials  left,  and  the  reader  will  be  glad 
to  know  from  their  own  lips  their  estimation  of  the 
interview. 

"  I  tell  you,  Brother  Sly,"  said  Pompey,  "  I 
guess  we  have  come  out  through  the  little  end  of 
the  horn.  I  tell  you  he  is  just  as  keen  as  a  razor.  I 
feel  just  as  if  I  had  been  drawn  through  a  knot-hole. 
I  never  was  so  whittled  down  in  all  my  life,  and  it 
looked  all  the  time  as  if  the  fellow  didn't  half  try. 
When  he  talked  about  the  small  contributions  from 
official  members  didn't  he  hit  the  nail  smack  on  the 
head?  I  am  not  very  big  on  the  pay,  but  I  fork  over 
as  much  again  as  Brother  Tighter.  He  gave  us  a 
drubbing,  but  somehow  or  'nother  I  like  him  better 
than  I  did  two  hours  ago.  How  is  it  with  you, 
Sly?" 

"  Well,"  said  Sly,  "  it  was  a  little  tough  to  listen 
to  some  things  he  said,  but  I  have  made  up  my 
mind  that  after  all  Brother  Sharp  understands  hu- 
man natur'." 

"  Wasn't  that  prayer  of  his'n  a  stunner,  though  !  " 
said  Pompey.  "And  didn't  it  beat  all  to  see  them 
girls  drop  on  their  knees  just  as  if  they  had  been 


144  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

struck  by  lightining  !  I'll  bet  my  old  hat  that  some- 
thing is  going  to  happen,  and  I  guess  we'd  better 
git  out  of  the  way." 

The  two  men  now  came  to  the  end  of  the  road 
and  parted. 

The  minister  tarried  but  a  short  time  after  the 
brethren  had  left,  promising  to  call  again  with  his 
family  before  long. 

"  Well,  Luke,"  said  Sister  Tighter,  "  the  meeting 
didn't  go  off  just  as  you  expected." 

"  Not  quite,"  was  the  reply,  "  but  perhaps  it  is 
just  as  well." 

"Yes,"  said  his  wife,  with  some  feeling,  "and  a 
thousand  times  better.  My  eyes  have  been  opened 
to  see  things  in  a  very  different  light  from  what  I 
have  ever  seen  them  before.  When  Brother  Sharp 
came  here  this  afternoon  I  did  not  feel  right  toward 
him,  simply  because  of  what  he  said  yesterday. 
Now  I  feel  different.  I  love  him  as  a  faithful  serv- 
ant of  Jesus  Christ,  and  I  am  going  to  stand  by  him. 
Girls,  what  do  you  think  about  it  by  this  time  ?  " 

"  Mother,"  said  Grace,  "  I  think  Mr.  Sharp  is  per- 
fectly splendid  !  I  have  not  the  least  hardness  to- 
ward him,  and,  to  tell  you  the  honest  truth,  I  am 
heartily  ashamed  of  my  conduct  yesterday,  and  I 
ask  my  parents'  forgiveness  while  I  promise  never 
to  do  so  again." 

"  And  that  is  the  way  I  feel,"  cried  the  younger 
sister,  bursting  into  tears. 

"You  have  not  had  the  religious  training  which 
the  children  of  Methodists  ought  to  have,"  said  the 
mother,  with  tears  in  her  eyes.  "  I  hope  from  hence- 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      145 

forth  to  set  a  better  example  before  my  children. 
Luke,  who  is  there  in  the  official  board  that  pays  so 
little  quarterage?  " 

"  I  don't  know  exactly  what  the  brethren  do  pay," 
was  the  evasive  answer. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  I  was  glad  that  that  did  not 
hit  us.  We  have  many  short-comings,  but  we  are 
not  guilty  of  withholding  from  our  minister  a  gener- 
ous support." 

CHAPTER    IV. 

THE  "RECEPTION,"  AND  SOMETHING  ABOUT  LUKE 
TIGHTER. 

ON  the  next  "Sabbath  at  the  church  the  congre- 
gation was  larger  than  on  the  Sabbath  previous. 
Grace  and  Charity  Tighter  sat  with  their  parents 
down  stairs  and  paid  the  most  earnest  attention. 
This  produced  a  very  happy  effect  in  the  minds 
of  many  who  feared  that  things  would  turn  out 
otherwise.  Frank  Pompey  and  William  Sly  were 
seated  in  the  gallery,  and  their  behavior  was  blame- 
less. The  text  was,  ''  Woe  to  them  that  are  at 
ease  in  Zion."  It  was  a  sermon  long  to  be  remem- 
bered on  account  of  its  deep  searching  power.  Sev- 
eral attended  the  class-meeting  who  had  neglected 
it  for  years,  and  made  humble  confession  of  their 
backslidings. 

In  the  afternoon  the  appointment  was  at  the 
"  Quaker  Settlement."  There  was  a  fine  congrega- 
tion, and  the  singing  was  conducted  by  a  choir  of 

well-trained    singers.     During  the   opening  prayer 
10 


146  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

the  minister  was  much  disturbed  by  the  rude  be- 
havior of  a  young  man  and  a  young  woman  sitting 
very  near  the  desk.  Before  announcing  another 
hymn  he  said  : 

"  I  stand  before  you  as  a  stranger  for  the  first 
time.  I  hope  that  our  relation  as  preacher  and  peo- 
ple will  be  pleasant  and  profitable,  but  at  the  very 
start  I  must  give  you  to  understand  that  I  shall 
never  tolerate  any  trifling  behavior  in  this  place  dur- 
ing divine  service.  I  have  been  greatly  shocked  by 
a  shameful  levity  on  the  part  of  two  young  persons 
during  our  opening  prayer.  I  hope  that  I  shall 
never  witness  this  again  during  any  part  of  religious 
worship." 

There  was  a  general  expression  of  satisfaction 
manifested  by  the  audience  at  this  fearless  stand 
taken  by  the  preacher.  On  this  occasion  the  text 
was,  "  Why  stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle?  " 

Before  the  congregation  was  dismissed  a  very 
respectable-looking  gentleman  asked  permission  to 
say  a  few  words.  The  permission  was  given. 

"  I  wish  in  the  presence  of  this  congregation  to 
thank  the  reverend  gentleman  for  his  plain  words 
touching  unbecoming  behavior  in  a  place  of  worship, 
especially  during  the  solemnity  of  prayer.  This  be- 
havior, I  am  happy  to  say,  is  confined  to  a  very  few 
persons,  and  if  it  had  been  met  by  other  ministers 
as  it  has  by  this  gentleman  it  would  have  disap- 
peared long  ago.  I  am  not  a  professing  Christian, 
although  I  ought  to  be,  but  I  am  a  lover  of  good 
order  and  good  manners.  I  again  thank  the  rev- 
erend gentleman  for  his  timely  remarks." 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      147 

The  audience  were  on  the  point  of  cheering, 
when  Brother  Sharp  pronounced  the  benediction. 

The  gentleman  was  a  wealthy  farmer  of  the 
vicinity  by  the  name  of  Edward  Gates.  He  pos- 
sessed brilliant  talents  and  had  been  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  a  number  of  times.  He  very  politely 
asked  the  minister  to  call  on  him  at  his  convenience. 

The  pastor  took  tea  at  Brother  Trembly's,  and 
was  treated  with  much  cordiality. 

"  I  was  terribly  scared  to  hear  you  talk  so  after 
prayer,"  said  Brother  Trembly.  "  They  richly  de- 
served it,  I  know,  for  they  are  always  cuttin'  up,  but 
when  preachers  scold  it  makes  me  feel  nervous  and 
unpleasant.  I  don't  blame  you  one  bit,  but  any 
thing  of  that  kind  spoils  my  meeting.  But  now 
that  'Squire  Gates  has  backed  you  I  feel  better.  I 
wish  I  was  not  so  nervous." 

"You  had  better  wish  you  weren't  so  foolish," 
said  Sister  Trembly,  with  a  good-natured  laugh. 
"  You  ought  to  have  cried  amen  to  what  the  minis- 
ter said,  instead  of  feeling  nervous.  I  felt  as  if  I 
wanted  to  pat  him  on  the  back." 

The  evening  appointment  at  the  village  was  a 
grand  success. 

On  the  next  Sabbath  the  "  Yellow  School-house  " 
was  crowded.  Before  the  service  commenced  Bro- 
ther Gruntly  whispered  to  the  minister  that  there 
was  no  choir,  with  a  "Didn't  I  tell  you  so?"  ex- 
pression on  his  countenance.  The  members  of  the 
choir  were  all  present,  but  had  concluded  to  show 
the  new  minister  that  their  fun  during  meeting 
was  not  to  be  interfered  with  without  a  show  of 


148  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

resentment.  There  they  sat,  under  the  silly  im- 
pression that  their  "  pouting  "  was  going  to  create 
a  panic.  Brother  Sharp  was  one  of  the  best  singers 
in  the  Conference,  and  in  that  line  he  was  fully  pre- 
pared for  any  emergency. 

"I  am  informed,"  said  he,  "that  there  is  to  be 
no  singing  by  the  choir  this  afternoon.  For  this 
accident,  which  often  occurs,  Methodists  are  gener- 
ally pretty  well  prepared.  If  you  have  no  objec- 
tion I  will  be  your  chorister  for  this  service  at  least. 
You  are  all  invited  to  join  in  the  song  of  praise. 
We'll  sing  five  verses  of  the  first  hymn,  to  the  tune 
of'  Northfield.'  Let  us  arise  and  praise  God." 

The  audience,  with  the  exception  of  the  choir, 
stood  up.  The  people  sang  as  they  had  never  be- 
fore, and  the  old  school-house  rang  with  the  sound 
of  pure  melody. 

The  prayer  was  earnest  and  impressive,  and  in  a 
particular  manner  the  young  people  were  presented 
before  the  Lord. 

Next  was  sung,  "  When  I  can  read  my  title  clear," 
to  the  tune  "  Ortonville,"  and,  it  was  grand.  Then 
a  powerful  sermon  was  preached  from  the  text,  "  For 
why  will  ye  die  ?" 

The  evening  meeting  at  the  Hollow  was  a  time 
of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  The 
seekers  had  found  peace  and  were  happy  in  their 
first  love.  The  prospects  were  brightening,  and  the 
itinerant's  heart  was  glad. 

One  afternoon  and  evening,  when  the  minister 
and  his  family  were  fairly  settled  in  their  new  home. 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      149 

a  circuit  gathering  of  a  friendly  social  nature,  which 
was  well  called  a  "reception,"  was  found  at  the 
parsonage.  Its  object  was  to  give  the  minister  a 
welcome  and  to  carry  also  in  the  line  of  eata- 
bles much  more  than  would  be  necessary  for  that 
one  occasion,  the  balance,  of  course,  to  remain  at 
the  preacher's  house  for  the  benefit  of  the  inmates. 
At  Flintrock  these  gatherings  were  quite  popular, 
especially  among  the  young  people,  not  so  much  on 
account  of  the  eatables  as  of  the  "good  time"they 
enjoyed  together.  Unfortunately,  former  pastors, 
under  the  bad  advice  of  some  of  the  brethren,  had 
reluctantly  consented  to  let  the  youth  indulge  in 
those  boisterous  and  vulgar  plays  made  up  of  silly 
ditties,  running,  screaming,  and  kissing.  Many  of 
these  ministers  had  been  sick  at  heart  in  witnessing 
these  rude  performances  in  their  own  house,  but,  be- 
ing new  comers,  advised  by  official  brethren,  they 
had  lacked  in  the  moral  courage  to  carry  out  their 
own  convictions  of  duty. 

There  was  a  large  company  of  young  people  in 
a  commodious  front  room  up  stairs.  The  evening 
was  advancing. 

"Come,  isn't  it  about  time  for  us  to  commence 
playing?"  said  Fred  Nimbler,  jumping  up  and  stand- 
ing in  the  middle  of  the  floor. 

"  I  am  almost  sure  that  playing  will  not  be  pleas- 
ing to  our  minister,"  said  Walter  Goodier. 

"  O,  fiddlesticks  !"  cried  Fred.  . "  We  always  have 
playing  at  receptions.  Why  should  he  object  more 
than  other  ministers  ?" 

"Other  ministers  have  objected,"  said  Walter, 


150  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  but  yielded  to  the  wishes  of  others.  Our  last 
preacher,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  said  to  father  that 
he  never  was  so  disgusted  with  any  thing  in  his 
life." 

"Well,"  said  Fred,  defiantly,  "  we'll  have  our  play 
any  way;  come  on,  girls!" 

"  No  girl  that  respects  herself  will  do  any  thing  in 
a  minister's  house  that  would  hurt  his  feelings,"  said 
Ella  Goodier. 

"And  so  I  say,"  responded  Grace  Tighter.  "We  are 
here  to  respect  our  minister,  and  not  for  a  frolic." 

This  from  Grace  caused  much  astonishment,  for 
heretofore  she  had  been  a  leader  in  these  perform- 
ances. 

Just  now  the  loud  voice  of  Brother  Pompey  was 
heard  on  the  stairs,  and  presently  he  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  company. 

"  Mr.  Pompey,"  said  Fred,  "we  were  just  about 
starting  a  play,  when  Walter  interfered  and  said  he 
thought  Mr.  Sharp  would  not  like  it." 

"  I  swow,"  said  Brother  Pompey,  "  I  don't  know 
what  the  minister  does  think  of  these  huggin'  bees. 
I  am  glad,  though,  that  Walter  did  stick  in  a  word. 
Thisyellin'  and  squealin'  and  kissin'  and  huggin' 
and  tearin'  dresses  and  tippin'  over  chairs  I  don't 
think  a  mighty  sight  of  myself." 

This  was  followed  by  a  laugh  and  some  applause, 
which  did  not  at  all  displease  Brother  Pompey,  who 
was  conscious  that  he  had  made  the  best  effort  of 
his  life. 

"  To  me  a  reception  is  not  worth  a  cent  without 
a  play,"  said  Fred,  showing  a  degree  of  displeasure. 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      1 5 1 

"  Well,"  said  Pompey,  "  I  am  not  much  of  a  judge 
on  the  worth  of  victuals,  but  at  the  table  a  while  ago 
I  thought  I  saw  a  red-headed,  big-mouthed  chap  of 
your  size  putting  himself  outside  of  a  pile  of  biscuit, 
butter  and  cheese,  pies  and  cold  chicken,  corn-beef 
and  cabbage,  pork  and  beans,  and  cold  ham  and 
pickles,  that  I  would  call  worth  a  good  deal  more'n 
a  cent." 

Here  was  another  laugh  at  the  expense  of  Fred, 
and  Pompey  considered  himself  a  hero. 

"  Some  one  might  ask  the  elder,"  said  Julia  Nim- 
bler. 

"Would  we  not  stand  better  in  his  estimation," 
said  Walter,  "  if  for  his  sake  we  voluntarily  give  up 
a  practice  which  at  any  place  is  of  very  doubtful 
propriety,  and  especially  so  at  the  house  of  a  min- 
ister? We  are  here  to  welcome  our  preacher,  as 
Grace  so  properly  remarked,  and  not  to  satisfy  our 
desire  for  fun.  I  believe  that  I  speak  the  sentiment 
of  the  great  majority  of  this  company,  and  I  move 
that  we  dispense  with  playing,  not  only  for  to-night, 
but  on  all  occasions  when  we  meet  in  the  interest 
of  the  church  or  pastor." 

"  I  second  that  motion,"  said  Grace  Tighter. 

"Brother  Pompey  will  put  it  to  vote,"  said  Wal- 
ter. 

"  Now  let  every  mother's  son  and  daughter  of  you 
sit  down  !"  cried  Brother  Pompey,  with  his  loud 
voice.  "  If  you  can't  get  seats  just  squat  right 
down  on  the  floor.  I  don't  know  as  I  can  do  this 
kind  of  business  right  up  to  the  handle,  but  I  will 
pitch  in  the  best  way  I  know.  Now  let  all  of  you  that 


152  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

think  as  I  do,  that  Walter  Goodier  has  hit  the  nail 
right  smack  on  the  head,  and  will  agree  to  do  as  he 
wants  you  to,  stand  up  quicker  than  you  can  say 
skat!" 

They  were  on  their  feet  in  an  instant,  without  a 
single  exception.  Fred  Nimbler  saw  how  matters 
stood,  and  gladly  put  himself  with  the  majority. 

"  Well,  now,  if  that  don't  beat  the  Dutch  !"  cried 
Pompey,  well  pleased  with  the  response,  and  feel- 
ing that  his  own  eloquence  had  strengthened  the 
vote.  "  If  my  wife  was  here  she  would  be  tickled 
half  to  death,  for  she  is  awfully  down  on  huggin' 
bees." 

The  evening  was  spent  pleasantly,  and  at  a  season- 
able hour  the  whole  company  was  invited  to  come 
together  down  stairs,  where  Brother  Sharp  addressed 
them  as  follows  : 

"  I  thank  you  all  for  your  presence  and  kind  re- 
gards. Within  a  few  hours  I  have  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  a  large  number.  Our  coming  thus 
together  must  be  profitable  as  well  as  pleasant.  I 
hope  soon  to  visit  you  at  your  houses  and  do  what 
I  can  for  your  spiritual  benefit.  I  thank  these  young 
people  fpr  their  worthy  deportment  at  the  house  of 
their  minister.  I  have  known  of  parsonages  that 
have  been  disgraced  by  rude  plays  and  amusements 
of  very  doubtful  propriety.  I  am  glad  that  the 
young  people  of  Flintrock  can  enjoy  themselves  for 
an  hour  or  two  without  resorting  to  these  frivolities. 
Young  people,  you  have  my  hearty  thanks.  Let  us 
now  unite  in  prayer." 

The  prayer  was  an  earnest  supplication  in  be- 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      153 

half  of  the  people  of  his  charge,  and  the  reception 
reached  a  happy  conclusion. 

"  Lucy,"  said  Brother  Tighter  to  his  wife  one 
morning,  "  it  is  time  for  us  to  be  looking  up  some- 
thing for  our  minister.  Quarterly  meeting  comes 
next  Saturday.  I  guess  we  can  let  him  have  some 
of  that  corn-beef,  can't  we  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  he  doesn't  want  corn-beef,"  said  his 
wife,  rather  dryly,  "  and  if  he  does  he  would  want 
a  better  article  than  we've  got." 

"  I  know  it  isn't  first  rate,"  said  her  husband  ; 
"  but  what  is  good  enough  for  us  is  good  enough 
for  him." 

"  It  is  not  good  enough  for  us,"  said  his  wife, 
rather  sharply,  "  and  let  us  hear  no  more  about 
that." 

"  Well,  how  are  we  off  for  lard?"  asked  Luke. 

"  But  how  do  you  know  that  Brother  Sharp  is  in 
need  of  lard  ?  Het  may  have  already  more  than 
he  needs,"  said  Lucy,  in  a  manner  that  made  her 
husband  stare. 

"  But  what  shall  we  give  him  ?"  asked  her  hus- 
band, with  a  degree  of  impatience.  "  I  must  not  go 
to  the  Quarterly  Conference  without  quarterage." 

"I  don't  intend  that  you  shall,"  answered  his 
wife  ;  "  but  did  you  ever  think  that  ministers,  as  well 
as  other  people,  need  money?" 

"  Money  !"  cried  Brother  Tighter.  "  I  never  pay 
money." 

"  But  you  will  pay  money  after  this,  or  I  will  pay 
it  myself,"  said  the  wife,  in  a  most  emphatic  manner. 


154  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  Why,  Lucy,  what  has  come  over  you  ?"  asked 
the  almost  frightened  husband. 

"  You  will  find  out  pretty  soon  what  has  come 
over  me,"  was  the  stern  reply.  "  That  afternoon 
when  Brother  Sharp  was  here  with  Brother  Sly  and 
Brother  Pompey  he  said  that  for  years  some  of  the 
official  members  on  this  charge  had  been  shamefully 
stingy  in  their  contributions.  I  had  always  thought 
that  in  addition  to  the  little  provision  you  carried 
to  the  preacher  you  paid  also  a  liberal  sum  of 
money.  I  have  just  learned  to  my  shame  that  I 
was  mistaken.  Now,  Luke  Tighter,  you  ought  to 
be  ashamed  of  yourself!  Here  you  are,  one  of  the 
most  able  farmers  in  the  church,  with  abundance  of 
cash  at  your  command,  and  all  the  poor  ministers 
have  got  from  you  for  years  has  been  a  little  lard, 
sausage,  turnips,  and  onions  ;  and  for  these  you 
have  charged  more  than  you  could  get  for  them  in 
the  market.  Now,  Luke  Tighter,  perhaps  you  know 
what  has  come  over  me."  £ 

"I  wonder  where  you  got  your  news?"  said 
Tighter. 

"  I  got  it  reluctantly  from  those  that  know  all 
about  it,"  was  the  reply.  "  And  now  this  wicked 
work  must  be  stopped.  Let  poorer  people,  if  they 
must,  pay  their  quarterage  in  onions  and  turnips, 
but  we  pay  money.  And  in  view  of  your  past 
stinginess  I  want  you  next  Saturday  to  pay  in  cash 
ten  dollars  for  this  quarter,  with  the  promise  of  three 
more  tens  during  the  year.  What  do  you  say  to 
that  ?  " 

"  I    would    like    to    say    that    you    was    crazy," 


Sharp   Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.      155 

said  Luke,  in  amazement, "  but  I  guess  I  hadn't 
better." 

"  Luke  Tighter,  I  am  perfectly  sane,  and  I  never 
was  more  in  earnest  in  my  life  !  "  said  the  wife. 
"  Now  that  the  girls  are  away,  I  want  the  matter 
settled  right  here.  I  would  be  ashamed  to  have 
them  know  it.  I  have  worked  hard  to  earn  this 
property,  and  my  wishes  are  entitled  to  some  respect. 
I  want  you  to  pay  forty  dollars  this  year  for  preach- 
ing, and  that  in  money.  What  do  you  say?" 

"  Why,  Lucy,  if  you  are  really  in  earnest,  and  you 
look  very  much  as  if  you  were,  I'll  do  it,  of  course," 
said  Luke. 

"  There  !  "  said  the  wife,  with  a  pleasant  smile  on 
her  face,  "  let  the  past  be  forgotten."  She  went  into 
another  room,  and  in  a  few  moments  her  clear  voice 
was  warbling  "  Coronation." 


CHAPTER    V. 
THE  CHARGE  REDEEMED-A  WONDERFUL  LOVE-FEAST. 

AT  the  quarterly  meeting  there  was  a  large  rep- 
resentation from  every  part  of  the  circuit.  The 
Saturday  afternoon  congregation  was  a  marvel  in 
point  of  numbers.  The  presiding  elder  looked 
around  in  astonishment,  and  could  hardly  attribute 
this  wonderful  change  to  his  own  popularity.  Never 
had  he  seen  the  like  at  Old  Flintrock.  At  the  Quar- 
terly Conference  nearly  all  of  the  official  members 
were  present,  and  every  thing  wore  a  cheerful  ap- 


156  Stories  of  City  and  Country. 

pearance.  Brother  Keener  was  in  his  best  humor, 
and  the  preacher  in  charge  wore  a  smiling  counte- 
nance. Brother  Goodier  was  the  secretary.  The 
minister's  financial  report  was  very  encouraging. 
The  secretary  now  took  out  of  his  pocket  a  roll 
of  bills  amounting  to  thirty  dollars  which  he  had 
collected  in  view  of  the  quarterly  meeting.  Brother 
Wiser  reported  twenty-five  dollars  from  Coon's  Hol- 
low. Brother  Gruntly  reported  a  smoked  ham  and 
a  bushel  of  apples  from  the  Yellow  School-house, 
and  Brother  Trembly  fifteen  dollars  from  the  Quaker 
Settlement,  ten  of  which  he  was  requested  to  say 
came  from  Squire  Gates  as  a  token  of  thanks  to  the 
minister  for  his  timely  service  to  those  triflers  dur- 
ing prayer.  This  created  a  smile. 

"  Is  there  any  more  quarterage  to  be  handed  in  ?  " 
inquired  the  presiding  elder.  Brother  Tighter  left 
his  seat,  walked  up  to  the  altar,  and,  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  secretary,  handed  him  a  ten-dollar  bill. 

"How  much  do  you  wish  to  pay?"  asked  Bro- 
ther Goodier,  preparing  to  make  change. 

"  I  wish  to  pay  ten  dollars  for  this  quarter  and 
thirty  more  during  the  year."  This  was  said  so  that 
all  could  hear.  But  in  order  to  make  it  more  em- 
phatic the  delighted  secretary  said  aloud,  "  Brother 
Tighter  this  year  will  pay  forty  dollars  in  cash  !  " 
The  astonishment  was  profound  and  almost  em- 
barrassing. 

"  It  is  no  wonder  that  you  look  astonished,"  said 
Brother  Tighter;  "  I  am  astonished  myself.  If  you 
wish  to  thank  any  body  you  may  thank  my  wife. 
She  had  just  found  out  how  much  I  paid  for  preach- 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.       157 

ing,  and  the  way  I  had  to  take  it  was  a  caution.  I 
was  glad  to  come  to  terms — forty  dollars  in  cash.  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  Lucy  is  right." 

This  created  a  degree  of  merriment,  and  some 
other  close-fisted  officials  present  thought  the  matter 
over  and  concluded  to  double  their  subscription. 
The  quarterage  was  beyond  all  expectation,  and  the 
future  looked  bright.  The  love-feast  on  Sabbath 
morning  was  noted  for  humble  confessions  of  past 
unfaithfulness  and  solemn  vows  for  the  future.  At 
the  public  service  the  church  was  crowded.  Bro- 
ther Keener  had  a  good  time,  while  the  quarterly 
collection  far  exceeded  his  claims. 

On  the  following  Sabbath  at  the  Yellow  School- 
house  all  the  members  of  the  choir  were  in  their 
seats ;  they  sang  heartily,  paid  strict  attention  to 
the  preaching,  and  a  number  of  them  seemed  to  be 
much  affected.  Brother  Sharp  took  tea  again  at 
Brother  Gruntly's,  and  this  time  Sallie,  with  a  smil- 
ing countenance,  sat  at  the  table. 

Just  before  the  minister  entered  his  carriage  Bro- 
ther Gruntly  said,  "  I  guess  things  are  going  to  work 
all  right  after  all.  I  was  afraid  it  was  going  to 
break  every  thing  all  to  pieces.  The  singers  have 
had  a  meeting,  and  after  much  talk  every  one  of 
them  voted  that  you  were  right  and  that  they  were 
wrong  ;  and  they  have  signed  a  paper  drawn  by  our 
Sallie,  saying  that  they  will  never  again  whisper  and 
giggle  in  meeting.  Don't  that  beat  all?" 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  such  good  news,"  said 
Brother  Sharp.  "  We  have  only  to  do  our  duty,  and 
God  will  take  care  of  his  cause."  He  then  left  for 


158  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

the  Hollow,   where  they  had   another  pentecostal 
shower. 

Seeing  the  minister  could  not  attend  the  Sabbath- 
school,  on  account  of  his  many  appointments,  he 
consented  to  teach  a  Bible  class  at  the  parsonage 
on  each  Wednesday  evening.  This  was  largely  at- 
tended, and  in  addition  to  his  explanatory  remarks, 
addressed  to  their  intellect,  his  earnest  application 
of  Bible  truths  was  leaving  a  decided  impression  on 
their  individual  hearts.  The  weekly  prayer  meet- 
ings throughout  the  circuit  were  gradually  increas- 
ing in  spirituality  and  in  attendance.  This  was 
specially  true  at  the  village.  Many  of  the  young 
people  attended,  and  their  countenances  denoted 
genuine  interest.  The  second  quarterly  meeting, 
which  was  conducted  by  the  pastor,  was  a  season  of 
great  interest.  The  text  on  the  Sabbath  was,  "Pre- 
pare ye  the  way  of  the  Lord ;  make  his  paths 
straight."  The  people  were  given  to  see  that  all 
that  was  necessary  in  order  to  have  God  among 
them  in  a  sweeping  revival  was  the  "  preparing  the 
way,"  and  it  was  evident  that  this  was  going  on.  This 
favorable  state  of  things  was  not  brought  about  by 
an  accident.  It  was  chiefly,  under  God,  the  result  of 
an  untiring  effort  on  the  part  of  their  minister.  He 
had  begun  with  the  official  members.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  two  or  three,  their  influence  for  years  had 
been  ruinous  to  the  charge.  For  this  it  required 
profound  skill,  invincible  courage,  perfect  honesty, 
and  abundant  love.  In  these  requisites  the  man  of 
God  abounded.  From  the  first  he  had  set  his  heart 
on  saving  these  brethren  from  their  chronic  stu- 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flint  rock  Circuit.       1 59 

pidity,  their  criminal  indifference,  and  their  wicked 
worldliness.  In  a  very  short  time  he  thoroughly 
understood  them,  administered  his  medicinal  doses, 
and  looked  up  to  Heaven  for  success.  He  showed 
them  their  sins,  and  their  transgressions  to  the  house 
of  Israel.  He  also  visited  from  house  to  house, 
arid  as  far  as  opportunities  presented  themselves 
he  conversed  with  the  unconverted  part  on  the  all- 
important  subject  of  religion.  On  all  occasions  he 
had  held  up  the  banner  of  holiness  and  honored  the 
requirements  of  the  Discipline.  His  exhortations  at 
the  prayer  meetings  and  the  Bible  class  produced 
deep  conviction.  Add  to  this  his  powerful  and 
earnest  ministry,  in  which,  with  a  tongue  of  fire,  he 
denounced  sin  in  the  world  and  in  the  Church,  and 
this  favorable  state  of  things  will  not  seem  strange. 

In  the  fall  of  that  year  the  pastor  became  con- 
vinced that  "  the  set  time  to  favor  Zion  "  had  in- 
deed come.  Throughout  the  charge  on  the  part  of 
a  great  many  there  was  an  earnest  longing  for  the 
salvation  of  souls.  The  moral  firmament  gave  un- 
mistakable promise  of  "  abundance  of  rain."  After 
a  full  consultation  with  the  brethren  he  concluded 
to  commence  a  protracted  effort  in  the  village  church. 
For  some  two  weeks  this  meeting  had  been  an- 
nounced, and  it  was  known  far  and  near.  Monday 
and  Tuesday  evenings  were  to  be  devoted  to  church 
work:  humiliation,  confession,  and  prayers  for  the 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  fall  upon  believers  to 
prepare  them  to  labor  for  souls.  The  meeting 
opened  with  the  evident  presence  of  God.  There 
was  a  complete  prostration  before  the  Lord.  There 


160  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

were  free  confessions  of  worldliness,  pride,  penuri- 
ousness,  neglect  of  family  and  private  prayers  and 
the  social  meetings  of  the  church.  There  were 
hearty  shakings  of  hands  between  church  members 
who  for  years  had  treated  each  other  coldly.  These 
meetings,  although  announced  for  the  special  bene- 
fit of  church  members,  were  attended  by  many  of 
the  unconverted. 

On  Wednesday  evening  Brother  Sharp  preached 
to  a  crowded  house.  He  stood  before  them  look- 
ing somewhat  pale,  while  deep  solemnity  rested  on 
all.  He  felt  the  weighty  responsibilty  of  the  hour. 
He  took  his  text:  "  Then  how  wilt  thou  do  in  the 
swelling  of  Jordan  ?  "  The  closing  part  of  this  ser- 
mon was  thrilling,  grand,  and  terribly  solemn.  Al- 
ready, and  before  the  invitation  was  given,  there 
were  groans  of  penitence  heard  in  different  parts  of 
the  church.  The  minister,  leaving  the  pulpit,  con- 
tinued his  words  of  fire  as  he  came  down  to  the 
altar,  and  there  without  an  intermission  he  invited 
all  who  wanted  a  Friend  to  stand  by  them  in  the 
"swelling  of  Jordan"  to  come  and  kneel  at  the 
altar.  No  sooner  were  the  words  spoken  than  from 
all  parts  of  the  house  there  was  a  rush  forward. 
Some  wept  aloud  and  cried  for  mercy;  others  were 
silent  and  solemn.  The  altar  was  soon  more  than 
filled,  and  seats  were  vacated  to  make  room  for 
mourners.  Then  followed  a  season  of  prayer,  and 
many  souls  were  set  at  liberty.  Thus  continued 
the  meetings  in  interest  and  power  for  some  six 
weeks,  while  about  two  hundred  had  professed  to 
have  found  salvation.  The  converts  were  from  all 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.       161 

parts  of  the  circuit,  and  far  beyond.  Nearly  every 
family  had  been  reached.  The  charge  was  com- 
pletely revolutionized.  All  the  young  people  in 
the  minister's  Bible  class  were  converted.  Among 
these  were  the  sons  of  Brother  Pompeyand  Brother 
Sly  and  the  daughters  of  Brother  Tighter.  At  the 
Quaker  Settlement  a  number  had  embraced  relig- 
ion, among  others  Hon.  Edward  Gates,  whose  con- 
version was  very  bright  and  clear.  At  the  Yellow 
School-house  all  the  members  of  the  choir  had  sur- 
rendered, and  Miss  Sallie  Gruntly  was  a  thorough 
worker.  At  the  Hollow  Brother  Wiser's  two  sons 
were  among  the  saved,  together  with  a  score  of 
others.  Shouts  of  praise  vibrated  through  the  val- 
leys and  echoed  on  the  hill-sides. 

Brother  Sharp's  donation  was  the  largest  by  far 
ever  heard  of  in  that  part  of  the  country.  In  cash 
and  other  valuables  it  amounted  to  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars.  In  the  evening  among  the  young 
people  there  was  nothing  heard  of  that  famous 
"  needle's  eye  that  doth  supply,"  but  their  young 
voices  blended  sweetly  in, 

"  How  happy  are  they  who  their  Saviour  obey." 

The  quarterage  also  came  in  abundantly,  and  the 
itinerant  received  much  more  than  his  allowance. 
By  a  unanimous  vote  he  was  asked  to  return  for 
the  second  year,  which,  of  course,  he  did,  and  the 
work  progressed  gloriously.  Improvements  became 
the  order  of  the  day.  The  church  at  the  village 
was  thoroughly  repaired  and  beautified.  Brother 

Tighter,  at  this  time  without  an  order  from  Lucy, 
11 


1 62  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

headed  the  subscription  with  a  liberal  sum.  In  this 
he  was  followed  by  Brother  Sly,  whose  "  human 
natur'"  had  of  late  greatly  improved,  and  even  Bro- 
ther Gruntly  freely  gave  twenty-five  dollars.  A 
new  church  was  built  at  the  Quaker  Settlement 
chiefly  through  the  liberality  of  Esquire  Gates, 
while  Brother  Trembly  had  wonderfully  improved 
in  moral  courage.  The  Yellow  School-house  was 
enlarged  and  painted  a  more  attractive  hue,  but  for 
years  afterward  it  was  known  by  the  same  old  term. 
At  the  Hollow  a  neat  church  was  built,  and  paid 
for  before  it  was  dedicated. 

The  last  love-feast  of  the  second  year  was  a  time 
of  shouting  and  tears.  Their  beloved  pastor,  who 
had  done  so  much  for  them,  was  about  to  leave. 
The  testimonies  were  very  numerous  ;  but  \ve  can 
allude  to  only  one. 

Brother  Pompey,  with  great  tears  running  down 
his  cheeks,  cried  out :  "  I  am  a  poor,  crooked  stick, 
the  best  way  you  can  fix  it :  but,  thank  God  and 
Brother  Sharp,  I  think  I  am  in  better  shape  than  I 
was  two  years  ago.  I  was  a  church  member,  I  know  ; 
but  what  good  will  that  do  when  you  have  no  more 
religion  than  a  snipe  ?  I  thank  God  for  what  Bro- 
ther Sharp  did  for  me.  I  once  undertook  to  haul 
him  over  the  coals  at  Brother  Tighter's.  I  shall 
never  forget  that.  It  didn't  take  hire  long  to  take 
all  the  starch  out  of  me,  and  I  went  home  deter- 
mined that  I  would  never  again  make  a  big  fool  of 
myself.  Ever  since  that  afternoon,  brethren,  I 
have  been  trying  to  toe  the  mark  a  little  better.  I 
know  I  often  get  out  of  the  way,  and  they  tell  me 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flint  rock  Circuit.       163 

I  use  too  much  slang.  I  think  I  am  getting  over 
that.  Any  how  I  am  going  to  try  my  level  best. 
Every  now  and  then  I  have  a  big  tussle  with  the 
old  fellow,  but  I  generally  down  him  before  we  get 
through.  He  hates  awfully  to  give  me  up,  and 
sometimes  he  is  as  polite  as  a  basket  of  chips ;  but 
I  tell  him  :  '  You  can't  come  it,  Mr.  Devil,  and  you 
would  better  scud.'  Brother  Sharp,  that  dressing 
you  gave  us  at  Brother  Tighter's  that  afternoon  made 
us  squirm,  but  it  was  the  best  thing  that  ever  hap- 
pened to  us.  At  our  house  we  are  a  happy  family. 
I  read  the  Scriptur'  and  my  wife  and  the  boys  do 
the  praying.  I  pray  in  secret  every  day,  but  I 
dasn't  venture  this  old  runaway  tongue  of  mine  to 
do  that  kind  of  business  before  folks.  God  bless 
you,  Brother  Sharp  !  and,  whoever  our  new  preacher 
may  be,  you  may  bet  your  life  that  Brother  Pompey 
will  come  up  to  the  scratch,  and  stand  by  him 
through  thick  and  thin." 

In  spite  of  the  betting  phrase  these  remarks  were 
well  received,  because  every  man,  woman,  and  child 
knew  that  they  were  uttered  in  perfect  sincerity. 

At  the  next  Conference  Brother  Sharp  was  sent 
to  Watchford,  where  the  congregation  had  greatly 
diminished  under  the  preaching  of  Brother  Minus. 
Here  again,  as  in  all  his  previous  appointments,  he 
was  eminently  successful.  For  years  after  this  he 
served  the  most  prominent  appointments.  After 
that  he  was  a  very  popular  presiding  elder,  and 
was  repeatedly  a  delegate  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence. 

Here  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  note  a  brief  conver- 


164  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

sation  between  Brother  Sharp  and  his  former  pre- 
siding elder,  which  took  place  years  afterward. 

"Ah,  Brother  Sharp,"  said  Samson  Keener,  "is 
it  not  very  clear  to  your  mind  that  I  was  under 
divine  direction  when  I  nominated  you  for  Old 
Flintrock?" 

"  I  have  never  been  so  impressed,  Brother  Keen- 
er," was  the  smiling  reply.  "  I  think  it  would  have 
been  more  in  harmony  with  the  will  of  God  if,  in 
unison  with  the  modest  and  respectful  request  of 
the  brethren  from  Watchford,  you  had  nominated 
me  for  that  station." 

"  But  does  not  the  wonderful  success  that  followed 
your  labors  at  Flintrock  prove  most  conclusively 
that  the  nomination  was  from  the  Lord  ?" 

"  No  ;  it  proves  nothing  of  the  kind.  My  being 
appointed  by  the  Bishop  in  harmony  with  my  own 
will,  after  a  friendly  consultation,  may  have  been 
pleasing  to  God,  but  that  does  not  prove  that  he 
looked  with  favor  upon  the  nomination.  And  even 
if  the  whole  thing  had  been  wrong  my  labors  might 
have  been  blessed  in  the  salvation  of  souls.  The 
will  of  God  touching  ministerial  appointments  is  not 
to  be  learned  by  their  success  or  failure.  And  so, 
my  dear  Brother  Keener,  I  do  not  think  that  my 
nomination  for  Flintrock  was  at  all  inspired  by  the 
Holy  Ghost." 

Samson  Keener  made  no  reply.  Perhaps  he  did 
not  feel  quite  sure  that  the  nomination  of  Brother 
Sharp  for  that  hard  charge  was  prompted  wholly  by 
motives  that  would  bear  a  pleasant  recollection. 

Flintrock  became  a  desired  field.     At  present  the 


Sharp  Words  on  Old  Flintrock  Circuit.       165 

original  ground  embraces  two  prominent  stations. 
The  older  members  have  gone  to  their  reward,  while 
their  children  and  grandchildren  carry  on  the  work. 
Brother  Sharp  is  now  advanced  in  years  and  wait- 
ing for  his  discharge.  Walter  Goodier  is  a  worthy 
minister  in  the  effective  ranks,  and  his  sister  Ella,  as 
a  loving  wife,  cheers  the  declining  years  of  a  noted 
Methodist  minister. 


j  66  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 


THE  MAN  WITH  THE  RUFFLED  SHIRT; 

OR, 

MY  FIRST  WEEK  ON  L—  CHARGE, 

CHAPTER    I. 
THE  JOURNEY  AND  MY  FIRST  SABBATH. 

I  BONDER  if  this  is  the  case  with  the  generality 
of  my  brethren  in  the  ministry.  It  is  so  with 
me,  at  least.  I  now  look  upon  many  things  as  com- 
paratively trivial  that  in  my  early  days  I  considered 
as  exceedingly  sinful.  I  am  often  astonished  at 
myself  when  I  compare  my  present  feelings  and 
views  with  those  that  I  cherished  forty  years  ago. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  in  this  I  relate  the  ex- 
perience of  a  great  number.  They  may,  or  may 
not,  be  ready  to  make  the  public  confession  that  I 
do.  Let  that  be  as  it  may,  I  must  say  that  in  this 
year  of  grace,  from  some  reason  or  other,  I  am  not 
troubled,  pained,  tortured,  and  agonized  by  reason 
of  the  style  of  brethren  and  sisters'  costumes,  espe- 
cially the  sisters'  bonnets,  as  I  used  to  be  when  I 
was  much  younger  in  the  ministry  than  I  am  to-day. 
I  have  often  been  led  to  inquire,  Is  not  this  change 
of  mind  and  feeling  the  result  of  a  gradual  back- 
sliding from  the  simplicity  of  the  Gospel  and  from 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          167 

that  ardent  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God  which  I  felt 
in  my  younger  days  ?  Was  not  my  judgment  at  that 
time,  when  warm  in  my  first  love,  a  safer  one  on  this 
point  than  the  one  I  now  exercise  after  so  many 
years  of  mingling  more  or  less  in  fashionable  and 
worldly  societies?  These  questions,  gentle  reader, 
have  been  well  considered.  I  have  been  for  hours 
on  the  witness  stand,  and  I  have  undergone  a  thor- 
ough cross-examination,  and  I  am  justified  at  the 
bar  of  my  own  conscience,  at  least,  in  the  views  that 
I  hold,  and  I  trust  that  they  are  in  harmony  with 
the  will  divine. 

This  may  be  considered  as  rather  a  strange  way 
of  commencing  a  story.  Well,  I  have  never  taken 
any  lessons  in  that  line.  I  know  nothing  of  the 
rules  of  story-telling  or  story-writing.  I  am  not  sure 
that  there  are  such  rules.  If  there  are,  I  am  not 
bound  by  them  more  than  I  am  by  Claude's  Essay 
011  the  Composition  of  a  Sermon.  I  think  I  shali_ 
be  able,  before  I  get  through,  to  tell  my  story,  and 
if  I  see  fit  to  put  the  moral  at  the  top,  or  in  the 
middle,  or  at  the  bottom,  that  is  simply  a  matter  of 
taste. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  18 — .     The  Conference 

was  closed,  and  my  field  of  labor  was  to  be  L 

charge  in  Northern  New  York.  It  was  by  no  means 
a  "  responsible  "  charge,  as  the  term  is  sometimes 
used  by  Methodist  ministers,  and  to  be  read  out  for 
that  place  was  not  considered  a  very  high  compli- 
ment, although  it  was  a  "fair"  appointment.  But 
at  that  time  I  was  young,  vigorous,  hopeful,  and 
confident ;  and  with  cheerful  hearts  the  little  fam- 


1 68  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

ily  started  for  the  new  circuit.  The  journey  was 
long,  about  one  hundred  miles,  under  the  burning 
heat  of  a  July  sun.  Of  course  we  wondered  and 
wondered  why  it  was  necessary  to  send  us  so  very 
far  away.  We  did  not  say  it  was  wrong.  O,  no! 
In  those  days  I  was  exceedingly  "  loyal,"  and  looked 
upon  the  appointments  coming  from  the  Bishop  and 
his  advisers  as  having  the  signature  of  Jehovah  at- 
tached. My  views  on  that  point  also  have  been 
slightly  modified  since.  But  we  reached  the  end  of 
our  journey.  It  was  Saturday  afternoon.  We  had 
been  directed  to  put  up  at  the  hospitable  mansion 
of  "  Father  Rogers,"  and  they  were  expecting  us. 

This  family  at  that  time  consisted  of  the  parents 
and  their  only  daughter,  Alice,  a  young  lady  about 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  Father  Rogers  had  long 
been  a  local  preacher  and  a  class-leader,  and  was 
universally  loved.  He  was  well  versed  in  theology, 
and  in  conversation  he  was  easy  and  agreeable. 
Sister  Rogers  was  very  much  like  him.  Alice  had 
shared  in  good  advantages,  and  her  manner  was 
cordial  and  mirthful.  She  was  richly  dressed  and 
had  on  her  person  a  few  articles  of  jewelry.  I  in- 
wardly sighed,  and  wondered  if  she  was  a  Methodist. 
We  were  received  with  the  warmest  Christian  sym- 
pathy, and  within  a  very  short  time  we  felt  perfectly 
at  home.  The  children  had  thrown  off  restraint, 
and  already  Alice  had  become  a  great  favorite. 

On  that  evening  the  itinerant  and  his  family  were 
glad  to  seek  an  early  rest.  The  household  bowed  in 
humble  adoration,  and  we  offered  unto  the  Lord 
our  evening  sacrifice. 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          169 

The  next  morning  was  clear  and  bright.  The  fam- 
ily was  up  betimes,  and  without  any  noticeable 
haste  or  hurry  the  work  was  completed,  and  we 
were  ready  for  the  service  a  long  time  before  the 
hour  arrived.  The  church  stood  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  house  and  was  visible  from  the  room 
in  which  the  venerable  man  and  myself  sat. 

"  Well,  Father  Rogers,"  I  asked,  "  what  is  the 
spiritual  condition  of  the  members  at  large  on  this 
charge  ?  " 

"A  positive  knowledge  of  the  heart  belongs  only 
to  God,"  was  the  reply;  "but,  judging  from  ap- 
pearances, I  trust  that  the  members  generally  strive 
to  do  their  duty  and  make  their  way  to  heaven." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that,"  I  replied.  "  You  say 
truly  that  God  alone  can  read  the  heart.  But  to 
me  it  is  perfectly  evident  that  the  Methodist  Church 
is  drifting  fearfully  from  her  ancient  moorings 
toward  sure  destruction.  It  has  got  so  that  in  our 
congregations  you  see  no  difference  between  the 
world  and  the  Church.  Professing  Christians  are 
as  gay  in  their  dress  as  the  worldlings.  In  days  of 
yore  Methodists  were  known  by  the  simplicity  of 
their  apparel ;  but  it  is  so  no  longer.  Vital  godli- 
ness is  departing  from  the  Church,  and  we  need  not 
be  mistaken,  for  '  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 
them.'" 

"  I  admit  that  by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 
them,  Brother  C.,"  answered  Father  Rogers.  "  But 
is  it  safe  to  take  a  mere  article  of  dress  or  a  piece 
of  jewelry  as  a  proof  of  a  wicked  heart  in  one 
whose  daily  walk  and  works  give  unmistakable  evi- 


170  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

dence  of  love  to  God  and  of  an  earnest  zeal  for  his 
glory?  When  I  was  younger  I  used  to  feel  very 
much  as  you  do.  The  sight  of  a  little  breastpin 
on  a  Methodist  sister,  or  a  little  artificial  rose  on 
her  bonnet,  would  shock  me,  and  inwardly  I  would 
conclude  that  such  a  person  could  not  enjoy  relig- 
ion. I  am  still  decidedly  opposed  to  any  vain 
display.  But  a  long  life  of  experience  in  the  Church 
has  convinced  me  that  a  few  articles  of  dress,  whether 
plain  or  gay,  are  very  unsafe  criterions  whereby  to 
judge  of  a  person's  religious  excellence  or  moral 
worth  in  a  community." 

"  Father  Rogers,"  said  I,  with  a  degree  of  warmth, 
"  while  I  greatly  respect  you  for  your  age  and  piety 
I  am  sorry  to  hear  any  thing  from  your  venerable 
lips  that  can  in  any  manner  be  construed  into  an 
apology  for  this  worldly  vanity  in  professing  Chris- 
tians. We  are  not  to  be  '  conformed  to  the  world,' 
but  to  be  '  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your 
mind.' " 

"And  yet,  Brother  C,"  replied  Father  Rogers, 
with  a  humorous  smile,  as  he  scanned  me  from  head 
to  foot,  "you  seem  to  be  pretty  well  conformed  to 
this  world  as  far  as  its  fashion  is  concerned.  Your 
coat  is  cut  in  the  latest  style-.  Your  pantaloons 
are  far  from  being  in  the  fashion  of  the  apostolic 
age.  Your  neck-tie  has  a  very  modern  appearance. 
Your  hat,  yonder,  is  a  magnificent  '  stove-pipe/  and 
your  boots  look  to  me  as  if  they  had  been  made 
on  a  very  fashionable  and  worldly  last.  I  am  well 
pleased  with  your  appearance.  I  am  gratified  to 
see  our  new  minister  so  tastefully  clad.  And  yet 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          171 

it  seems  to  me  that,  from  your  own  stand-point, 
you  must  admit  that,  so  far  as  dress  is  concerned, 
you  are  somewhat  'conformed  to  this  world.'" 

All  this  was  said  so  kindly  and  smilingly  as  to 
impart  double  weight  to  every  word,  and  I  began 
to  feel  that  the  veteran  had  with  my  own  Scripture 
put  me  in  a  position  that  was  far  from  being  com- 
fortable, and  I  was  glad  to  know  that  it  was  near 
meeting-time.  I  replied,  "  As  far  as  my  garments 
are  concerned  I  will  assure  you  that  I  have  never 
bestowed  a  thought  upon  their  fashion  or  style. 
They  were  ordered,  they  fit  me,  and  I  wear  them. 
That  is  all." 

"And  I  think,  Brother  C.,"  said  the  veteran 
again,  "  that  it  would  be  exceedingly  unkind  as  well 
as  unjust  in  any  one  to  accuse  our  new  minister 
of  worldly  conformity  because  he  wears  a  suit  of 
clothes  similar  to  those  of  his  neighbors.  The 
proof  of  our  moral  transformation  is  not  to  be  found 
in  the  cut  of  a  coat  or  the  style  of  a  bonnet.  I  have 
learned  to  value  people  according  to  their  moral 
and  religious  worth,  and  not  by  their  dress  or  pro- 
fession." 

I  was  certainly  surprised  to  hear  this  language 
from  an  old  Methodist.  I  had  never  heard  the  like 
before,  and  although  I  considered  myself  well  pre- 
pared to  sustain  my  views  on  this  point,  for  some 
reason  I  found  that  I  was  confused,  and  a  reply 
was  not  quite  ready.  To  my  great  relief  Father 
Rogers  said  : 

"  Let  us  be  going.  Brother  C.,  we  will  resume  this 
talk  some  other  time." 


1 72  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

The  services  proceeded  as  usual.  The  congrega- 
tion was  large  and  attentive.  I  felt  a  comfortable 
degree  of  liberty,  and  was  cheered  during  the  ser- 
mon by  a  number  of  responses  in  the  shape  of 
"  amen"  and  "  glory,"  and  once  or  twice  an  emphatic 
'•  hallelujah  "  echoed  through  the  house.  After  an 
earnest  invitation  for  all  the  members  to  tarry  for 
class-meeting  the  benediction  was  pronounced. 

A  very  fair  number  tarried,  and,  knowing  that 
before  me  stood  the  majority  of  the  members  of 
the  charge,  I  paid  particular  attention  both  to  their 
outward  appearance  and  spoken  experience.  To 
my  sorrow  I  thought  I  saw  clear  exhibitions  of  pride 
and  worldly  conformity.  In  the  public  service  my 
attention  had  been  drawn  toward  a  singularly- 
dressed  man,  whom  I  instantly  concluded  to  be  a 
vain  worldling  who  came  to  make  a  display  of  his 
singularity  and  to  hear  the  new  minister.  Be  it  re- 
membered that  I  arrived  at  this  conclusion  from  the 
man's  apparel,  and  from  no  other  cause.  His  de- 
portment was  perfectly  correct  and  his  attention 
strict.  But  to  me  his  dress  was  enough  to  settle 
the  question  of  his  moral  condition.  He  wore  a 
black  velvet  coat,  a  yellow  vest,  and  white  trousers, 
from  the  waist  of  which  hung  a  short,  massive 
gold  watch-chain,  ending  with  a  couple  of  golden 
seals.  But  what  struck  me  more  particularly  was  a 
very  fine  white  ruffle  projecting  from  his  shirt  bo- 
.som.  Judge  of  my  astonishment  when  I  found  this 
ruffle-shirt ed  gentleman  in  the  class-meeting.  I 
looked  around  and  examined  the  countenances  of 
those  present  in  order  to  ascertain  if  others  were 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          173 

astonished  as  well  as  myself.  But  no !  Then  it 
was  evident  that  the  man  was  at  home,  and  one  of 
the  fraternity.  I  will  mention  but  few  names  in 
connection  with  this  class-meeting,  but  enough  to 
answer  our  purpose.  Brother  Frothingham  was 
evidently  poor.  His  garments  denoted  him  as  such. 
He  was  glad  that  they  had  a  minister  at  last  who 
was  not  afraid  to  preach  against  pride  and  popu- 
larity. It  was  all  dress  and  fashion,  and  the  cause 
of  Christ  was  languishing.  He  had  often  asked  their 
former  pastor  to  preach  on  pride,  but  he  didn't  do 
it.  But  now  he  believed  the  set  time  to  favor  Zion 
had  come.  Halleluiar !  Sister  Frothingham  be- 
lieved in  that  religion  that  had  life  and  power  in  it. 
When  God  converted  her  she  was  converted  all  over, 
soul  and  body.  She  felt  it  from  the  crown  of  her 
head  to  the  end  of  her  toes.  It  pained  her  soul  to 
see  Methodist  sisters  following  the  vain  fashion  of 
a  wicked  world  and  thus  giving  the  lie  to  their  pro- 
fession. At  last  I  came  to  the  man  with  the  ruf- 
fled shirt.  Father  Rogers  with  a  smile  spoke  his 
name — "  Brother  Sterling."  I  looked  upon  him 
with  a  degree  of  amazement  and  wondered  what  he 
would  have  to  say.  He  spoke  on  rather  a  low  key, 
but  quite  distinct.  In  a  second  I  found  that  he 
was  an  Englishman.  "  It  is  all  of  grace!  It  is  all 
of  grace!"  said  Brother  Sterling.  "Twenty  years 
ago,  in  Old  England,  the  good  Shepherd  found  me 
a  poor  wandering  sheep  on  the  barren  mountains  of 
sin  and  unbelief,  and  led  me  into  the  fold,  and  ever 
since  then  I  have  lain  down  in  green  pastures  and 
by  the  side  of  still  waters.  Brethren,  if  there  is  any 


1/4  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

good  in  me  it  is  all  of  grace,  and  to  God  be  all  the 
glory  !  "  All  this  from  the  man  with  the  ruffled 
shirt  and  the  massive  watch-chain  !  There  was  a 
ring  of  sincerity  about  what  he  said,  and  I  found 
on  looking  round  a  number  shedding  tears.  I  had 
purposed  to  say  something  to  this  man  touching 
worldly  conformity,  but  when  he  sat  down  I  con- 
cluded to  let  it  pass.  How  thankful  I  have  since 
felt  that  I  did  not  at  that  time  follow  the  impulse ! 
The  class-meeting  closed.  The  new  minister  was 
introduced  to  many  present,  all  of  whom  gave  him  a 
hearty  welcome  with  a  warm  invitation  to  call  at 
their  houses.  "  I  hope  Brother  C.,"  said  Sister 
Frothingham,  "  that  you  will  not  do  as  some  of  our 
former  ministers  have  done.  They  could  make  them- 
selves mighty  familiar  in  fine  houses,  where  the 
women  folks  dress  in  silks  and  play  on  the  planner, 
but  their  visits  to  the  poor  were  few  and  far  be-, 
tween,  and  sometimes  as  scarce  as  hens'  teeth." 
I  told  Sister  Frothingham  that  her  being  poor 
would  not  prevent  my  visiting  her.  This  answer 
caused  a  general  smile,  which  at  that  time  I  did  not 
understand.  We  scattered,  and  I  returned  to  the 
hospitable  mansion  of  Father  Rogers. 

"  Well,  Brother  C.,"  said  the  venerable  local 
preacher,  after  we  were  fairly  seated,  "  you  see  that 

we  have  a  few  at  least  in  L that  will  take  great 

pleasure  in  giving  you  all  due  assistance  in  carrying 
forward  the  dress-reform  movement." 

"  I  would  not  run  from  one  extreme  to  another," 
I  replied.  "  I  have  no  desire  to  see  the  sisters  at- 
tired in  Sister  Frothingham 's  style.  I  was  not  at  all 


The  Man  'with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          175 

pleased  with  her  remarks.  But  I  have  often  noticed 
that  there  is  a  tendency  in  the  poor  members  of 
the  church  to  charge  pride  on  those  who  are  in  bet- 
ter circumstances.  So  we  must  have  charity  for 
Brother  and  Sister  Frothingham." 

"  If  you  put  down  the  Frothinghams  among  the 
poor  you  will  make  a  very  great  mistake,"  said 
Father  Rogers.  "Mr.  Frothingham  is  nearly  the  rich- 
est man  on  the  charge.  He  has  all  the  appearance 
of  poverty,  and  I  often  think  that  he  has  all  the  ex- 
perience of  poverty.  That  coat  that  he  wore  to- 
day has  been  his  Sunday  garment  for  fifteen  years, 
and  it  bids  fair  for  years  to  come.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  forever  harping  on  pride  and  dress,  and, 
whatever  may  be  the  merit  of  the  subject  in  itself, 
from  them  it  always  does  harm.  Their  influence  in 
the  church  is  any  thing  but  favorable.  They  gen- 
erally make  a  great  ado  over  every  new  preacher, 
and  invariably  wish  a  change  at  the  end  of  the  first 
year.  You  may  look  upon  these  remarks  as  being 
uncharitable,  but  they  have  led  so  many  new  minis- 
ters astray  by  their  noisy  demonstrations  that  I 
deem  it  my  duty  to  set  you  on  your  guard,  and  if 
you  find  them  better  than  my  description  I  shall 
greatly  rejoice." 

"  But  what  about  the  man  with  the  ruffled  shirt, 
Father  Rogers?"  I  asked.  "  I  certainly  was  favor- 
ably impressed  with  what  he  said;  but  how  can  any 
man  that  enjoys  religion  permit  himself  to  indulge 
in  such  vanity  of  dress?  I  had  not  the  least  idea 
that  he  was  even  a  professor  of  religion,  much  less  a 
Methodist.  I  certainly  was  surprised  when  I  saw 


176  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

him  in  the  class-meeting.    The  idea  of  a  ruffle-shirted 
Methodist!" 

"  Now  we  come  back  to  our  first  point  of  discus- 
sion," said  Father  Rogers,  with  a  smile  on  his  lips; 
"and  I  wish  for  no  better  subject  to  test  our  theory 
than  this  man  of  the  ruffled  shirt  and  the  heavy 
watch-chain.  Ten  years  ago  he  came  from  England 
with  his  two  sisters,  one  a  young  lady  and  the  other 
a  child  of  twelve  years.  The  older  sister  married, 
and  now  lives  in  the  West.  The  younger  is  unmar- 
ried and  superintends  the  house  for  her  bachelor 
brother,  who  owns  a  large  and  beautiful  farm  about 
two  miles  from  this  place.  They  came  to  this 
country  with  regular  certificates  of  membership, 
and  their  Christian  walk  has  been  blameless.  Bro- 
ther Sterling  dresses  now  very  much  as  he  did  tlien. 
The  first  time  I  ever  saw  him  he  had  on  a  velvet 
coat  and  a  ruffled  shirt.  I  never  saw  a  person 
more  indifferent  to  the  changing  forms  of  fashion. 
He  is  a  man  of  property,  and  it  is  all  at  God's  serv- 
ice. He  abounds  in  every  good  word  and  work, 
temporally  and  spiritually.  He  is  loved  and  re- 
spected by  the  whole  community.  His  attendance 
at  the  sanctuary  is  constant.  His  contributions  to- 
ward the  support  of  the  Gospel  are  liberal  and  cheer- 
ful. He  well  understands  our  theology  and  church 
government.  He  is  a  ripe  scholar  and  understands 
several  languages.  He  is  as  humble  and  unpretend- 
ing as  a  child.  His  love  and  regard  for  the  minis- 
ters are  proverbial.  All  this  you  will  see  for  your- 
self, and  a  vast  deal  more,  between  this  and  the  next 
Conference.  Thus  this  man  has  stood  among  us  in 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          177 

all  the  beauty  of  holiness  for  a  dozen  years,  and 
those  that  know  his  moral  worth  are  not  disposed 
to  meddle  with  the  style  of  his  shirt  or  the  weight 
of  his  watch-chain." 

Father  Rogers  waxed  warm  in  the  praise  of  his 
English  neighbor.  I  certainly  was  much  surprised 
to  find  my  man  of  "  worldly  conformity  "  set  up  so 
highly.  I  had  all  confidence  in  my  worthy  host, 
and  concluded  that  the  account  was  correct.  Again 
I  found  my  usual  ready  utterance  wanting.  I  sim- 
ply replied : 

"It  is  very  possible  that  I  have  wrongly  judged 
persons  on  account  of  my  views  of  dress.  I  will 
give  the  subject  more  consideration." 


CHAPTER  II. 
SOME  PASTORAL  CALLS. 

np\VO  days  after  this,  in  company  with  Father 
Rogers,  I  called  to  see  a  number  of  the  mem- 
bers. After  what  I  had  heard  on  the  Sabbath  I 
concluded  that  Sister  Frothingham  must  not  be 
overlooked.  On  our  way  thither  my  faithful  guide 
remarked  :  "  Brother  C.,  in  all  probability  your  feel- 
ings will  be  hurt  more  than  once  before  you  will 
leave  that  house.  If  you  escape  you  will  be  the 
first  Methodist  minister  that  ever  proved  so  fortu- 
nate. It  will  be  under  the  garb  of  pretended  sanc- 
tity. But  be  assured,  my  dear  brother,  that  you 
are  not  to  judge  of  this  charge  by  the  Frothing- 

hams.     Our  people  are  good  and   kind,  and  they 
12 


178  Stories  of  Country  and  City, 

never  rush  to  the  throne  of  judgment  to  pass  a 
sentence  on  their  fellow-men." 

I  assured  him  in  return  that  I  was  fully  prepared 
to  meet  all  features  of  mind  and  disposition,  and  on 
we  trotted  until  we  found  ourselves  in  front  of  the 
Frothingham  mansion.  We  entered.  It  was  evi- 
dent from  Sister  Frothingham's  habiliments  that 
on  this  afternoon  she  was  not  expecting  "  company/' 
If  she  was  acquainted  with  St.  Paul's  injunction, 
"  Let  every  thing  be  done  decently  and  in  order," 
in  all  probability  she  had  given  it  an  exclusively 
spiritual  meaning,  for  the  interior  appearance  of  her 
kitchen  was  far  from  being  a  proof  that  the  good 
advice  had  been  heeded.  We  found  her  as  we  gen- 
erally find  the  pictures  of  sweet  rustic  maidens  in 
the  magazines — shoeless  and  stockingless  ;  while  her 
hair  was  permitted  to  enjoy  a  holiday  and  run  in 
any  direction  its  fancy  might  dictate.  She  was  en- 
gaged in  spinning  flax. 

"  Good  afternoon,  Brother  C.,"  she  said  ;  "  you 
have  catched  me  in  a  fine  fix.  You  see  I  yet  stick 
to  the  old  fashions.  I  tell  Simon  what  was  good 
enough  for  our  fathers  and  mothers  is  good  enough 
for  their  children.  '  A  penny  saved  is  a  penny 
'arned.'  I  don't  run  after  every  new-fangled  notion. 
It  seems  to  me  that  the  world  is  getting  crazy  after 
new  things,  and  the  Church  is  as  bad  as  the  world. 
Sit  down,  Father  Rogers.  Huldah,  bring  a  chair 
from  the  spare-room,  and  run  to  the  back  lot  and 
tell  your  father  that  the  new  minister  is  come.  Sis- 
ter C.,  I  noticed,  didn't  stay  in  class  Sunday.  I 
presume  she  was  tired.  I  tell  Simon  that  women 


The  .Man  with  I  he  Ruffled  Sliirt.  179 

nowadays  can't  stand  nothing.  It  wa'n't  so  when 
I  was  young.  If  they  would  only  take  hold  and 
work  as  I  did  when  I  was  a  girl  I  guess  they 
wouldn't  be  such  a  puny,  sickly  set.  When  Sister 
C.  gets  over  being  tired  of  course  she  will  stay  in 
class.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  fault  found  with 
our  other  minister's  wife  on  that  account.  If  any 
body  should  set  a  good  example  it  should  be  the 
minister's  wife.  Well,  well,  when  I  begin  to  talk  I 
don't  know  when  to  stop." 

But  she  did  stop  for  a  while,  not,  however,  be- 
fore she  had  made  a  very  unfavorable  impression  on 
my  mind.  Her  language  in  regard  to  my  wife 
touched  me  keenly,  and  I  replied  with  as  much  com- 
posure as  I  could  command: 

"  Sister  Frothingham,  I  am  happy  to  inform  you 
that  Mrs.  C.  is  an  ardent  lover  of  our  means  of 
grace,  and  is  always  present  unless  unavoidably  de- 
tained. I  tell  you  this  to  relieve  you  from  any 
further  embarrassment." 

"  And  let  me  say  in  behalf  of  the  wife  of  our 
former  minister,"  said  Father  Rogers,  "  that  there 
was  but  one  family  on  the  whole  charge  that  ever 
found  fault  with  her.  She  was  a  beautiful  specimen 
of  a  true  Christian  lady,  and  in  her  absence  I  must 
defend  her." 

"  Conscience  sakes  !  Father  Rogers,  you  needn't 
get  huffy  about  it !  "  replied  our  sister.  "  I 
guess  there  are  no  bones  broken.  When  I 
was — " 

But  just  in  time  to  prevent  another  outpouring 
Brother  F.  came  in  from  the  "  back  lot."  It  seems 


180  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

that  he  had  witnessed  our  arrival  and  Huldah's 
journey  had  been  rendered  short. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,"  said  he  as  he  took  my  hand. 
"  Father  Rogers,  why  didn't  you  put  your  horse  in 
the  barn  ?" 

"  O,  we  are  not  going  to  make  much  of  a  stay," 
was  the  reply.  "  The  horse  is  all  right.  Brother  C. 
thought  he  would  like  to  make  a  few  calls." 

"  How  much  of  a  family  have  you,  Brother  C?" 
asked  Brother  F. 

"  I  have  a  wife  and  two  children,"  I  replied. 

"  O,  that  ain't  very  bad,"  replied  the  man.  "  Some 
of  our  ministers  have  so  many  children  that  they 
figur'  up  pretty  middlin'  high  for  a  weak  charge ; 
don't  they,  Father  Rogers?" 

"  That  is  a  point  that  gives  me  no  trouble,"  replied 
the  veteran,  with  much  earnestness.  "  When  the 
minister's  claim  is  high  the  brethren  pay  accord- 
ingly. They  find  no  fault.  If  Brother  C.  had  six- 
teen children  instead  of  two  some  would  stick  to 
their  old  figure,  and  that  a  very  low  one." 

Simon  was  evidently  hit,  but  not  much  hurt.  His 
"  well-beloved,"  seeing  the  situation,  concluded  to 
come  to  the  rescue,  and  so  replied : 

"  It  takes  a  heap  more  to  support  a  preacher's 
family  than  it  used  to.  Twenty  years  ago  they  were 
willing  to  live  like  common  folks.  But  pride  and 
popilarity  has  crept  into  ministers'  houses  as  well  as 
others.  I  often  tell  Simon  that  if  they  would  live 
and  dress  as  plain  as  we  do  we  wouldn't  hear  so 
much  complaining  about  money  and  quarterage  and 
such  like  stuff.  But,  dear  me  !  they  are  often  as  stuck 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.  181 

up  as  the  world's  people.  I  hope  Brother  C.  will 
not  think  that  I  am  alludin'  to  his  family ;  but  that 
is  true  of  some  of  our  ministers,  and  Father  Rogers 
knows  it." 

"  Father  Rogers  does  not  know  it  !  "  was  his  em- 
phatic reply. 

"  Nancy,"  interposed  Brother  F.,  "  I  guess  we  bet- 
ter drop  that  subject  ;  you  know  Father  Rogers  and 
us  could  never  see  alike  on  these  matters.  But  from 
some  parts  of  Brother  C.'s  sermon  on  Sunday  I 
think  he  must  side  with  us." 

This  put  me  in  an  uncomfortable  position.  I 
utterly  detested  the  spirit  that  prompted  their  re- 
marks, and  yet  much  of  the  language  they  used  was 
very  much  like  my  own,  and  no  one  knew  it  better 
than  did  Father  Rogers.  I  dare  say  that  he  rightly 
judged  my  feelings  and  rendered  very  timely  aid. 

"  It  is  hardly  fair  to  draw  Brother  C.  into  this 
talk,"  he  said,  with  a  restored  smile.  "  He  will  have 
plenty  of  time  after  this  to  make  known  his  views, 
and  we  hope  to  profit  by  them.  We  came  here  to 
make  a  friendly  call.,  and  not  to  argue  questions." 

This,  to  my  great  relief,  had  the  effect  of  chang- 
ing the  tone  of  the  conversation,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes we  were  more  at  ease.  In  the  course  of  remarks 
touching  various  church  enterprises  Brother  and 
Sister  F.  instinctively  shrank  from  all  measures  that 
required  any  thing  in  the  shape  of  advancing  money 
or  even  labor.  Designedly  or  otherwise,  my  good 
Father  Rogers  touched  on  points  that  were  pecu- 
liarly adapted  to  show  the  new  minister  the  close 
and  penurious  disposition  of  the  Frothinghams. 


182  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  Our  church  ought  to  be  shingled  over,"  said 
Father  Rogers.  "  In  heavy  rains  it  leaks  in  many 
places." 

"  I  guess  a  little  patching  would  answer  for  the 
present,"  said  the  man  of  the  house. 

"  We  have  patched  long  enough.  The  house 
needs  a  thorough  shingling,  and  if  we  all  do  our 
part  as  God  has  prospered  us  it  can  be  easily  ac- 
complished," was  the  reply. 

"  How  was  the  state  of  religion  on  your  last 
charge,  Brother  C.  ? "  asked  Brother  F.,  evidently 
wishing  to  turn  to  something  cheaper  than  shingles. 

I  replied,  "  There  was  a  very  good  state  of  spirit- 
ual prosperity  when  I  left,  and  the  finances  were 
attended  to  with  punctuality." 

"  What  we  need  on  this  charge  is  a  rousing  re- 
vival," said  Brother  F.,  "  and  I  hope  that  Brother 
C.  will  be  able  to  git  up  a  reformation." 

"  I  hope  so  too  with  all  my  heart,"  answered  Fa- 
ther Rogers.  "  Let  the  reformation  commence  at 
once,  and,  to  begin  with,  let  the  church  be  shingled. 
But  for  this  we  must  raise  money.  Come,  now,  let 
us  push  this  subscription  " — handing  it  to  Brother 
F.  "  I  have  put  my  name  down  for  what  I  thought 
was  right,  but  if  it  is  not  enough  I  will  give  more. 
In  what  way  can  we  better  start  a  reformation  than 
in  showing  proper  respect  for  the  sanctuary?" 

Brother  F.  reluctantly  took  the  paper,  read  the 
heading,  folded  it  up  again,  and  handed  it  to  Father 
Rogers.  Then  turning  to  me  inquired  : 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  the  ministry, 
Brother  C?" 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          183 

I  told  him  I  was  commencing  my  sixth  year. 

"  Brother  Frothinghatn,"  said  Father  Rogers, 
"  Brother  C.'s  goods  are  at  B.  station,  and  they 
must  be  brought  up  this  week.  You  have  good 
strong  horses  and  you  will  go  after  a  load,  won't 
you»?  " 

"  Let — me — see,"  was  the  slow  reply,  while  he 
cast  a  glance  toward  Nancy. 

"  I  guess,"  said  Nancy,  "  that  Simon  has  all  he 
can  do  with  the  horses  at  home  this  week.  This 
is  a  busy  time  with  us.  I  dare  say  that  Brother 
Sterling  can  send  teams  for  the  goods ;  he  generally 
does  such  things." 

"  So  he  does,"  was  the  reply,  "  and  will  most 
gladly  do  it  again.  But  is  it  best  to  permit  that 
good  man  to  carry  burdens  which  fairly  ought  to 
rest  on  other  shoulders  ?  " 

"  If  he  does  it  with  pleasure,"  said  Sister  F.,  "  I 
guess  it  won't  hurt  him." 

"  It  may  not  hurt  him"  was  the  reply ;  "  but  it 
will  hurt  those  who  will  not  touch  these  burdens 
with  one  of  their  fingers." 

"  Brother  Frothingham,"  said  Father  Rogers 
again,  "  Brother  C.  would  be  glad  to  get  a  little 
help  in  the  line  of  money.  He  tells  me  that  his 
purse  is  pretty  low.  I  guess  we  had  better  make  him 
up  a  little  sum  ;  it  will  cheer  him  among  strangers." 

"  Land  o'  mercy !  "  cried  Sister  F.  "  I  guess  you 
have  come  to  a  poor  place  for  money.  We  have  to 
spare  every  cent  we  can  rake  and  scrape  to  make 
the  last  payment  on  the  west  farm." 

"  We  have  more  turnips  than  we   really  need," 


184  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

chimed  in  the  husband.  "  I  can  spare  Brother  C. 
a  few." 

"  And  I  can  let  Sister  C.  have  a  little  yarn,"  added 
the  wife. 

"  And  in  the  fall  we  shall  butcher  a  crittur,  and 
Brother  C.  can  have  a  fore-quarter,"  said  the -man 
of  the  house. 

"  Well,"  said  Father  Rogers,  "  we  have  several 
calls  to  make,  and  we  must  be  going." 

"You  will  pray  with  us,  Brother  C.,"  said  Brother  F. 

Nancy  stopped  her  wheel,  and  I  tried  to  pray 
with  feelings  which  I  never  shall  forget.  The  inter- 
view had  left  on  my  mind  a  most  painful  impression. 
During  the  prayer  the  responses  of  the  man  and 
his  wife  were  loud  and  frequent,  "  Amen  "  and  "  Bless 
the  Lord  "  being  the  favorites. 

We  left,  and,  once  out  of  that  house,  I  felt  greatly 
relieved,  and  came  very  near  resolving  that  I  would 
never  enter  it  again. 

On  that  afternoon  we  made  several  short  calls  on 
families  belonging  to  the  church.  They  were  brief 
seasons  of  genuine  delight.  The  hearty  Christian 
welcome  I  received  and  the  favor  with  which  every 
measure  of  Father  Rogers  was  met  convinced  me 
that  my  lot  had  fallen  in  pleasant  places. 

About  four  o'clock  we  came  to  the  beautiful  res- 
idence of  Brother  Sterling.  The  premises  were 
nicely  laid  out,  and  in  a  manner  indicating  at  once 
that  the  design  was  not  American. 

"  This  is  the  English  of  it,"  said  Father  Rogers. 
"  Brother  Sterling's  taste  is  very  fine.  His  knowl- 
edge of  farming  and  gardening  is  almost  perfect." 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          185 

We  were  met  at  the  gate  by  the  owner  of  the 
house.  Yes,  sure  enough,  there  he  was — the  man 
with  the  ruffled  shirt.  He  was  glad  to  see  us.  The 
horse  was  put  in  charge  of  a  servant  and  conveyed  to 
the  stable,  while  Father  Rogers  and  myself,  in  charge 
of  the  worthy  host,  were  conducted  to  the  house. 

He  was  attired  much  the  same  as  he  was  on  the 
Sabbath  ;  but,  from  some  reason,  a  wonderful  change 
had  come  over  me,  and  I  was  not  much  discommoded 
by  his  peculiarity.  He  at  once  in  the  most  modest 
and  quiet  manner  led  the  conversation  in  a  strain 
that  became  to  me  delightful  and  even  captivating. 

Presently  his  sister  came  in,  a  fine-looking  young 
lady,  still  retaining  that  freshness  of  complexion  so 
strikingly  visible  in  English  countenances.  I  had 
been  introduced  to  her  on  the  Sabbath,  and  this, 
our  second  meeting,  was  free  from  restraint.  I 
thought  her  dress  denoted  a  degree  of  worldly  van- 
ity, but  her  manners  were  so  very  agreeable  and  her 
very  nature  so  thoroughly  happy  that,  for  the  time 
being,  at  least,  I  postponed  any  mental  reflection 
upon  her  personal  piety  or  Christian  character.  Her 
real  goodness  of  heart  beamed  forth  in  her  smiling 
lips  and  laughing,  sparkling  eyes ;  and  her  intel- 
ligence and  culture  stood  out  in  her  wide,  prom- 
inent brow  and  faultless  address.  It  was  evident 
that  she  was  every  thing  to  her  brother,  who  looked 
upon  her  with  eyes  of  deep  affection. 

''  We  are  truly  glad  that  you  have  called  on  us," 
she  said,  smiling.  "  You  have  come  so  late  and  your 
visit  will  be  too  short.  But  I  will  not  find  fault ;  I 
dare  say  you  have  made  other  calls." 


1 86  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  That  is  true,  Mary,"  said  Father  Rogers ;  "  but 
I  knew  all  the  time  where  we  were  going  to  stop 
and  take  tea." 

"  You  are  a  downright  good  Father  Rogers,"  said 
Mary,  with  laughing  eyes,  "  and  see  now  if  I  don't 
give  you  an  extra  good  cup  ;  and  now  please  excuse 
me  while  I  leave  and  try  to  make  good  my  promise." 
And  Mary,  clothed  with  smiles,  left  the  room. 

"  That  dear  girl  is  a  world  of  comfort  to  me," 
said  her  brother.  "  She  was  left  an  orphan  at  an 
early  age,  and  when  quite  young  she  subjected  me 
to  some  care  and  anxiety.  But  since  then  she  has 
repaid  me  a  thousand  times.  She  is  very  happy 
herself,  and  she  appears  to  impart  her  nature  to 
those  around  her.  It  may  not  seem  in  the  best  of 
taste  to  thus  speak  of  my  own  sister,  but  to  me  she 
is  one  grand  source  of  joy  and  consolation.  Her 
vivacity  does  not  intrude  upon  her  devotion.  Mary 
is  an  ardent  lover  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and 
deeply  attached  to  the  Church  of  God." 

"  This  is  the  united  testimony  of  the  whole  com- 
munity," said  Father  Rogers.  "  Mary  is  universally 
loved  and  esteemed.  She  is  an  ornament  in  society 
and  a  pillar  in  the  spiritual  Zion." 

"Well,  Brother  C.,"  said  the  man  with  the  ruffled 
shirt,  "  we  most  cordially  welcome  you  and  your 
family  into  our  midst.  Your  name  and  former 
labors  are  somewhat  known  to  us.  You  have  served 
good  charges  and  you  have  been  well  supported. 
In  point  of  wealth  our  charge  does  not  stand  as  high 
as  some  you  have  served.  But  you  have  come  among 
a  warm-hearted  people  that  will  feel  it  a  pleasure  to 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          187 

co-operate  with  you  spiritually  and  see  that  your 
temporal  wants  are  all  supplied.  We  invite  you  to 
our  homes  and  our  hearts.  Father  Rogers  will  tell 
you  that,  with  perhaps  one  exception,  the  families 
of  our  church  are  always  a  unit  in  regard  to  their 
love  for  the  pastor  and  his  family." 

I  was  certainly  affected.  Not  so  much  by  what 
he  said  as  by  the  manner  in  which  it  was  spoken. 
There  was  a  peculiar  affectionate  earnestness  in  his 
voice  and  way  that  is  not  easily  described.  And, 
although  the  offensive  ruffle  was  right  before  my 
eyes  and  the  golden  seals  at  the  end  of  his  watch- 
chain,  I  felt  a  certain  moisture  gathering  in  my  eyes 
while  my  heart  was  "  strangely  warmed."  I  briefly 
replied : 

"  I  heartily  thank  you,  Brother  Sterling,  for  your 
cordial  greeting.  From  what  I  have  already  seen 
I  am  well  convinced  that  I  am  among  warm 
friends." 

"  I  tried  to  get  Brother  Frothingham  to  go  after 
a  load  of  Brother  C.'s  goods  to  the  B —  depot,"  said 
Father  Rogers,  "  but  I  did  not  succeed." 

"You  must  have  been  sorely  disappointed,"  was 
the  smiling  reply.  Then  turning  to  me  he  inquired  : 
"  How  many  loads  will  the  goods  make,  Brother  C.  ?  " 

"  The  goods  are  well  boxed,"  I  replied,  "  and  they 
will  make  two  fair  loads." 

"  Brother  C.,  I  will  send  for  the  goods  to-morrow, 
and  Father  Rogers,  you  need  not  look  any  farther. 
This  is  a  favor  that  is  generally  conferred  on  me, 
and  perhaps  on  this  account  Brother  Frothingham 
felt  a  little  delicate.  Brother  C.  will  find  the  par- 


1 88  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

sonage  convenient  and  in  good  repair.  By  the  way, 
Father  Rogers,  how  about  that  church  shingling?  " 

"  It  should  be  attended  to  without  any  delay, 
Brother  Sterling,"  was  the  reply.  "  In  rainy  weather 
the  church  is  greatly  injured.  I  have  drawn  a  sub- 
scription, and  a  sufficient  amount  should  be  raised 
to  complete  the  whole  job." 

"  It  may  take  you  some  time  to  circulate  that 
paper,"  said  Brother  Sterling.  "  The  shingles  had 
better  be  procured  at  once  and  the  work  commenced. 
I  have  more  than  half  enough  on  my  premises  which 
I  don't  need,  and  if  you  say  how  soon  you  can  use 
them  I  will  see  that  they  will  be  there.  The  rest 
we  can  secure  by  the  time  they  are  needed.  Let 
us  hurry  this  matter  through." 

"  A  blessing  on  your  kind  head  and  heart ! "  said 
Father  Rogers,  with  some  feeling.  "  I  will  agree 
that  on  Monday  of  next  week,  at  eight  o'clock,  there 
will  be  a  strong  force  of  the  brethren  and  friends  on 
the  ground  to  make  short  work  of  it." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  man  with  the  ruffled  shirt. 
"The  shingles  will  be  on  the  premises  on  Saturday 
afternoon.'' 

While  this  conversation,  and  much  more  I  might 
mention,  was  going  on,  my  mind  could  not  help 
contrasting  this  family  with  the  Frothinghams. 
There  was  another  thing  which  often  came  up  in 
my  mind  as  I  witnessed  the  true  devotion  of  this 
man  to  the  cause  of  his  Master  and  the  kind  man- 
ner in  which  he  spoke  of  all.  I  thought  how  very 
wide  of  the  mark  was  my  estimation  of  Brother 
Sterling  as  I  gazed  upon  him  for  the  first  time  on 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.  189 

the  previous  Sabbath  morning  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord.  The  conviction  broke  upon  my  mind  with 
unmistakable  force  that  it  was  wholly  unsafe  to 
judge  of  a  person's  spirituality  or  moral  worth  on  the 
one  hand  by  an  article  of  dress,  or  on  the  other  by 
a  high-sounding  profession.  It  was  during  my  first 
week  on  L —  charge  that  I  promised  God  and  my 
own  heart  I  should  be  more  careful  and  charitable, 
and  that  I  should  strive  to  the  utmost  of  my  ability 
to  give  "honor  to  whom  honor"  is  due. 

In  about  an  hour  Mary  returned  to  inform  us  that 
tea  was  ready,  and  we  sat  down  at  a  table  richly 
spread.  The  sister  presided  with  ease  and  dignity. 
Her  remarks  were  perfectly  suited  to  the  occasion. 
She  was  lively  and  brilliant,  within  proper  bounds. 
She  wore  what  I  considered  a  valuable  breastpin, 
and  there  was  a  very  light  gold  chain  around  her 
neck.  These  articles  gave  me  some  uneasiness  for 
a  time,  but  such  was  the  general  flow  of  good  feel- 
ing at  the  table  that  I  soon  forgot  all  about  the 
ornaments  and  gave  myself  up  to  the  charm  of  the 
occasion. 

After  tea  I  asked  Mary  to  give  us  some  music. 
To  this  she  readily  consented,  but  before  commenc- . 
ing  she  said,  with  a  humorous  smile: 

"  I  am  not  sure,  Brother  C,  but  that  this  will  give 
Sister  Frothingham  an  occasion  for  another  lecture. 
This,  I  presume,  is  the  very  'pianner'  to  which  she 
referred." 

"  Mary  !  "  said  the  brother,  "  I  know,  dear,  you 
will  say  nothing  unkind  of  Sister  Frothingham." 

"  Not  for  the  world,  my  dear  Gordon  !  "  replied 


190  Stories  of  Country  and  Ciiy. 

Mary.  "  I  only  feel  somewhat  concerned  for  the 
safety  of  our  new  minister." 

"  Give  us  the  music,  Sister  Mary,"  said  I,  "  and  I 
will  risk  all  harm." 

"  Very  well,"  said  she  ;  "  and  I  call  Father  Rogers 
to  witness  that  I  am  not  responsible  for  the  conse- 
quences." Then,  as  a  kind  of  prelude,  she  gave  us 
an  exhibition  on  the  key-board  which  showed  that 
those  notes  were  under  the  control  of  a  master. 

After  one  very  brilliant  instrumental  piece  she 
sang,  in  a  deep,  full,  rich  soprano,  the  celebrated  "  I 
know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,"  with  which  Jenny 
Lind  had  so  recently  thrilled  the  country.  I  had 
not  heard  it  from  the  Swedish  maiden,  but  I  pos- 
sessed sufficient  knowledge  of  music  to  know  that 
the  piece  at  this  time  was  very  finely  rendered.  We 
had  it  in  its  plain  English  fullness,  without  any  of 
that  affectation  and  lisping  which  is  often  witnessed 
at  homes  and  concerts. 

After  half  an  hour  of  very  pleasant  conversation 
Father  Rogers  deemed  it  advisable  to  leave.  Again 
the  new  pastor  was  requested  to  lead  in  prayer,  and 
a  hallowed  influence  seemed  to  fill  the  room.  It  is 
true  there  were  no  loud  responses,  but  there  were 
silent  invocations  that  accompanied  the  vocal  prayer; 

"  And  Heaven  came  down  our  souls  to  greet, 
While  glory  crowned  the  mercy-seat." 

Before  we  left  the  house  Brother  Sterling  handed 
me  a  twenty-dollar  bank-note,  remarking,  "  I  dare 
say  it  will  come  handy.  If  at  any  time  you  should 
stand  in  need  of  pecuniary  aid  please  let  me  know 
it,  for  through  the  blessing  of  my  heavenly  Father 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.           191 

I  am  in  circumstances  where  I  can  be  of  assistance 
to  you  without  in  the  least  embarrassing  myself,  and 
it  will  afford  me  much  pleasure." 

I  looked  upon  the  money  with  a  degree  of  won- 
der, for  it  was  the  largest  sum  I  had  ever  received 
at  one  time  from  a  single  person  as  "  quarterage." 
I  tried  to  thank  him  as  well  as  I  could,  and  then  I 
thought  of  the  man  with  the  ruffle  who  sat  before 
me  on  Sabbath  morning,  and  then  I  thought  of  the 
minister  in  the  pulpit  who  made  up  his  mind  that 
that  man  was  a  vain  worldling. 


CHAPTER   III. 
IN  WHICH  ALICE  GIVES  A  PIECE  OF  HER  MIND. 

ON  our  way  homeward  for  some  time  the  con- 
versation was  not  very  brisk ;  but  on  my  part, 
at  least,  reflection  was  very  busy.  Father  Rogers,  I 
have  no  doubt,  pretty  well  knew  what  was  going  on 
in  my  mind.  I  could  readily  see  by  his  smiling  coun- 
tenance that  he  had  been  abundantly  pleased. 

The  silence  at  last  became  a  little  embarrassing 
to  me  and  I  started  the  conversation  : 

"  Father  Rogers,  I  find  that  your  praise  of  Brother 
Sterling  was  not  at  all  exaggerated.  He  more  than 
justifies  all  you  said." 

"  And  you  will  find  him  the  same  kind,  faithful, 
reliable,  benevolent  soul  the  year  round,"  said  Fa- 
ther Rogers.  "And  you  can  readily  see  by  this 
time,  Brother  C.,  how  well  we  can  afford  to  let  him 


1 92  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

be  his  own  judge  in  regard  to  the  style  of  his  dress. 
His  sister  partakes  largely  of  the  same  nature.  You 
have  seen  to-day  that  she  is  a  cultivated,  finished 
young  lady  ;  and  yet  there  is  not  a  respectable  poor 
person  in  this  town  whose  society  she  would  shun. 
She  is  the  first  of  her  sex  in  deeds  of  charity,  and 
her  kindness  to  the  poor  is  well  known.  She  is  faith- 
ful to  all  the  means  of  grace,  and  never,  in  any 
company,  does  she  shrink  from  acknowledging  her 
Saviour.  It  is  true,  she  wears  a  fashionable  bonnet 
and  a  gold  watch.  She  can  well  afford  it,  and  for 
this  Sister  Frothingham  pronounces  her  proud.  I 
never  saw  a  young  lady  in  all  of  my  life  that  gave 
more  substantial  proofs  of  genuine  humility  than 
does  Mary  Sterling." 

"  Brother  Rogers,"  said  I,  "  I  am  free  to  confess 
that  after  the  conversation  I  have  had  with  you  on 
this  subject,  and  after  what  I  have  plainly  witnessed 
at  the  respective  houses  of  Brothers  Frothingham 
and  Sterling,  my  views  on  this  point  of  pride  have 
been  greatly  modified.  My  theory  of  judging  from 
the  mere  dress  led  me  to  a  most  erroneous  conclu- 
sion. I  condemned  a  most  worthy  servant  of 
the  Lord,  and  gave  unmerited  credit  for  Christian 
humility  to  persons  of  a  worldly,  penurious,  and 
uncharitable  spirit.  I  deem  it  a  duty  and  feel  it  a 
relief  to  make  to  you  this  confession.  The  experi- 
ence of  the  last  few  days  I  trust  will  prove  to  me  a 
most  valuable  lesson." 

Father  Rogers  undoubtedly  would  have  replied 
but  already  we  found  ourselves  at  the  gate,  where 
Alice  and  the  two  children  stood  ready  to  receive 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          193 

us.  Father  Rogers  took  care  of  the  pony,  while 
the  rest  of  us  went  into  the  house,  where  Mrs.  C. 
sat  with  Sister  Rogers. 

"  Well,  Brother  C.,"  said  Alice,  "  I  hope  that  you 
have  been  well  pleased  with  your  first  visits  on 
your  new  charge.  Indeed,  I  know  that  with  but 
one  exception  you  have  been  delighted  with  the 
people." 

"Why  make  that  exception,  Sister  Alice?"  I 
asked.  "  Why  could  not  all  of  our  visits  have  been 
pleasant?  " 

"  I  learned  before  you  started  that  you  were  to 
call  on  the  Frothinghams,"  was  the  reply,  "  and  that 
fully  answers  your  question.  No  person  of  fine  feel- 
ings, minister  or  otherwise,  can  remain  at  that  house 
for  ten  minutes  without  being  utterly  disgusted." 

"  Alice,  my  dear,"  remarked  the  mother,  "  you 
are  using  strong  language." 

"  I  simply  speak  the  truth,  mother,"  was  her  reply, 
"and  the  language  is  much  milder  than  the  case 
would  justify." 

"  But,  my  dear,"  said  the  mother,  "  it  may  be  pos- 
sible that  Brother  C.  found  things  otherwise ;  and 
why  should  you  thus  express  yourself  in  the  absence 
of  any  actual  knowledge  in  the  premises  ?  " 

"  My  dear  mother,"  said  Alice,  "  it  is  not  in  the 
absence  of  knowledge.  It  is  true,  I  was  not  present, 
and  Brother  C.  has  not  divulged  any  thing  that 
transpired  :  but  I  am  just  as  positive  in  my  own 
mind  in  regard  to  the  nature  of  what  he  heard  from 
Mrs.  Frothingham  as  if  I  had  been  present  on  the 

spot.     And  now  I  am  willing  to  test  the  correctness 
13 


194  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

of  what  I  have  said.  Brother  C.  had  to  be  informed 
that  things  were  not  thus  and  so  when  she  was 
young,  and  that  the  world  was  getting  crazy,  and 
that  the  Church  was  running  at  the  bidding  of 
pride  and  popularity,  and  a  number  of  things  she 
tells  Simon.  And  I  will  venture  to  say  that  Brother 
C.  had  to  listen  to  a  lecture  in  regard  to  the  duty  of 
ministers'  wives  and  a  mean  thrust  at  their  extrav- 
agance. And  if  papa  saw  fit  to  ask  for  any  money 
for  the  minister  or  for  church  purposes  I  know  he 
did  not  succeed." 

Such  was  the  accuracy  of  Alice's  sayings,  as  well 
as  the  half-comical  style  in  which  they  were  deliv- 
ered, that  I  actually  broke  out  in  laughter,  in  which 
my  wife  saw  fit  to  join.  In  justice  to  the  daughter 
I  confessed  that  she  was  correct  in  every  particular, 
and  that  she  had  come  out  triumphantly. 

In  the  midst  of  the  merriment  the  father  came  in 
and  smilingly  inquired,  "Well,  Alice,  what  note 
have  you  struck  now  ?  " 

"  Pa,  I  have  said  nothing  naughty ;  I  was  only 
showing  Brother  C.  how  well  I  understood  the  nat- 
ure of  the  entertainment  they  gave  you  to-day  at 
Brother  Frothingham's." 

"  I  don't  consider  that  as  a  great  exploit,"  replied 
the  father ;  "anyone  knowing  the  party  could  do 
that.  So,  Miss  Alice,  you  need  not  flatter  yourself 
as  possessing  any  extra  amount  of  mental  penetra- 
tion." 

"  I  certainly  don't,  pa,"  said  Alice  ;  "  it  was  a 
very  easy  matter  indeed,  and  I  told  my  mother  so. 
But  I  wonder  if  this  state  of  things  is  to  last  for- 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.  195 

ever.  How  much  longer  must  men  and  women  of 
piety,  liberality,  and  intelligence,  be  insulted  in  our 
social  meetings  by  the  coarse  vulgarity  of  those  ig- 
norant, penurious  mortals,  who  have  no  more  public 
spirit  than  a  couple  of  owls?  Only  think  of  the 
slighting  manner  in  which  they  speak  of  our  good 
Brother  Sterling,  and  of  Mary,  the  best  and  dearest 
creature  on  earth  !  I  tell  you,  pa,  the  whole  church 
is  getting  utterly  sick  of  the  everlasting  slang  and 
cant  of  those  two  stingy  souls.  They  destroy  our 
social  meetings  by  their  unkind  and  ungodly  per- 
sonality, and  they  abuse  persons  the  latchet  of  whose 
shoes  they  are  not  worthy  to  stoop  and  unloose !  " 

"  My  daughter,"  said  the  father,  "  all  you  say  is 
strictly  true,  and  it  is  not  in  my  heart  to  blame  you. 
Your  language  may  seem  severe  to  Brother  and 
Sister  C. ;  but  let  them  remember  that  we  have  had 
to  carry  this  grievous  burden  for  many  years,  and  for 
my  part  I  don't  see  how  we  are  to  be  relieved." 

"  Sister  Alice,"  said  I,  "  our  other  visits,  and  es- 
pecially the  one  at  Brother  Sterling's,  were  enough 
to  compensate  us  a  thousand  times  for  any  little 
reverses  at  another  point." 

My  first  week  on  L charge  gave  me  very 

clear  insight  of  its  workings.  With  the  exception 
of  the  Frothinghams  I  found  the  membership  to  be 
friendly,  kind,  and  liberal,  according  to  their  ability. 
But  far  above  all,  in  my  estimation  of  that  society, 
stood  the  man  with  the  ruffled  shirt.  During  my 
two  years'  stay  on  the  charge  I  found  him  at  all 
times  and  places  the  same  amiable,  dignified,  de- 
voted and  benevolent  man.  Unless  unavoidably 


196  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

detained  he  was  present  at  all  the  meetings,  and  it 
was  evident  from  his  words  and  actions  that  he  es- 
teemed the  service  of  the  sanctuary  far  above  every 
thing  on  earth.  During  an  itinerant  life  of  forty 
years  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  good  and  true  men 
officially  connected  with  the  Church,  and  the  names 
of  many  remain  fresh  upon  the  pages  of  my  mem- 
ory ;  but  in  all  my  sojournings  I  have  not  seen  one 
equal  in  all  perfections  to  Gordon  Sterling.  For 
two  years  I  saw  him  much,  and  the  more  I  stayed  in 
his  society  the  clearer  and  brighter  to  me  shone  his 
moral  excellencies. 

During  my  stay  among  them  several  things  oc- 
curred worthy  of  mention.  Mary  Sterling  became 
the  happy  bride  of  a  young  man  of  great  moral  worth 
and  fine  talents,  the  son  of  a  wealthy  farmer  in  an 
adjoining  town.  By  mutual  agreement  Mary  was 
to  stay  at  home.  Brother  Sterling  was  greatly 
pleased  with  the  match,  and  it  seemed  as  if  they 
had  all  things  in  common. 

Alice  Rogers  also  made  the  heart  of  a  young  itin- 
erant glad  by  consenting  to  share  his  labors  and 
fortune.  Rev.  Mr.  M.  has  been  well  known  for  years 
as  one  of  the  most  energetic  workers  in  the  Church, 
and  his  refined,  devoted,  and  spirited  wife,  has 
always  won  a  host  of  genuine  friends. 

Perhaps  the  most  fortunate  occurrence  to  the 
charge  during  my  administration  was  the  withdrawal 
by  letter  of  Brother  and  Sister  Frothingham  from 
the  church.  They  became  intolerable,  and  at  last 
in  a  .quiet  way,  at  their  own  dwelling,  I  gave  them  to 
understand  that  the  church  was  much  grieved  with 


Tlie  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.  197 

their  perpetual  unkind  insinuations,  and  that  it  was 
my  opinion  that  the  brethren  and  sisters  had  a  just 
cause  of  complaint. 

"  Your  opinion,  is  it?"  replied  Sister  F.  "  Very 
likely.  I  told  Simon  it  wouldn't  be  a  great  while 
before  they  would  soap  you  over  and  get  you  into 
their  worldly  ways.  When  you  first  came  on  this 
charge  I  thought  we  had  got  a  man  that  would 
amount  to  something.  I  told  Simon  so.  Said  he, 
4  Nancy,  time  will  tell.'  And,  sure  enough,  time 
has  told,  and  here  you  are  takin'  sides  with  pride 
and  popilarity.  If  you  had  asked  more  of  God's 
advice  and  less  advice  from  Gordon  Sterling  you 
wouldn't  be  comin'  to  our  house  with  such  stuff  in 
your  mouth." 

"  Sister  Frothingham,"  said  I,  "  you  may  abuse 
me  to  your  heart's  content,  and  I  can  bear  it  with 
but  little  inconvenience  ;  but  I  cannot  sit  quietly 
and  listen  to  disrespectful  language  touching  Brother 
Sterling." 

Before  Nancy  had  time  to  reply  Simon  said, 
44  Brother  C.,  if  you  have  any  idear  that  we  think  it 
any  privilege  to  belong  to  that  proud  church  you 
are  awfully  mistaken.  I  guess  there  are  other 
churches  in  the  land,  and  they  aint  stuck  up  with 

pride  either,  as  they  are  at  L .  Last  Sabbath 

we  went  to  the  Red  School-house,  and  there  they 
have  the  life  and  power.  The  way  the  minister 
gave  these  gold-chain  Christians  a  skinning  was  a 
caution.  My  soul  was  fed  under  that  sermon 
and—" 

44  And    so  was  mine,"  broke  in  Nancy.     "  I  was 


198  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

glad  to  get  somewhere  where  the  people  enjoyed 
religion.  I  was  telling  Simon  on  our  way  home  that 
it  was  worth  more  than  all  the  meetings  we  had  in 
six  months  ;  and  it  is  the  livin'  truth." 

"  And  I  was  just  going  to  tell  Brother  C.,"  con- 
tinued Simon,  with  an  air  of  threatening  triumph, 
"  that  a  little  more  of  that  kind  of  talk  of  his'n 
would  just  take  us  over  to  the  Red  School-house. 
We  had  some  talk  about  it ;  didn't  we,  Nancy  ?  " 

"  So  we  did,  Simon,"  was  the  quick  reply ;  "  and  it 
would  serve  them  just  right  if  we  were  to  leave  at 
once." 

"  And  I  have  pretty  much  made  up  my  mind  to 
do  just  so,"  said  Simon,  watching  my  countenance. 
"  And  unless  Brother  C.  backs  down  pretty  mid- 
dlin'  quick  he  will  soon  find  us  members  of  another 
church." 

"  Under  ordinary  circumstances  it  is  not  my 
business  to  encourage  withdrawals  from  the  church," 
said  I;  "  but  this  is  a  case  out  of  the  ordinary  line, 
and  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  as  a  pastor  to  say  to  you 
that  unless  you  intend  to  act  and  speak  differently 
your  withdrawal  from  the  society  will  be  a  source  of 
joy  and  gladness  to  every  member  of  our  church 
and  congregation." 

This  was  more  than  they  expected,  and  for  a 
few  moments  they  remained  silent.  But  Nancy  ral- 
lied, and  to  my  great  relief  she  replied  : 

"  Simon,  this  is  enough.  Let  us  get  our  letters 
at  once  !  " 

"  Brother  C.,"  said  Simon,  showing  a  high  degree 
of  resentment,  "  I  aint  used  to  such  a  talk,  sir,  and 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          199 

I  aint  going  to  stand  it !  I  want  you,  sir,  to  give  us 
letters.  Let  us  have  them  now.  Huldah,  there  is  a 
half  sheet  of  paper — " 

"  Never  mind, "said  I,  interrupting  him,  "I  gen- 
erally go  prepared  for  an  emergency.  I  have  paper 
and  ink  ;  your  letters  will  be  ready  in  less  than  three 
minutes." 

The  letters  were  handed  over,  and  without  cere- 
mony I  left  the  house  for  the  last  time.  To  the 

church  at  L their  departure  was  hailed  as  would 

be  a  deliverance  from  a  common  nuisance,  while  the 
confidence  of  respectable  outsiders  was  greatly 
strengthened  in  the  integrity  of  the  church. 

My  two  years  on  L charge  were,  upon  the 

whole,  the  most  happy  of  my  life.  I  never  witnessed 
warmer  loves  or  truer  friendships.  But  the  parting 
day  at  last  arrived,  and  we  had  to  bid  adieu  to  our 
many  friends.  The  man  with  the  ruffled  shirt  "  loved 
us  to  the  end."  In  every  movement  he  studied 
our  comfort  and  convenience.  Free  of  charge  his 
men  and  horses  were  at  our  service.  Such  was  the 
man  in  every  thing  that  was  good  that  to  me,  even 
me,  his  peculiarity  of  dress  became  attractive.  His 
ruffle  was  all  right,  and  the  jingle  of  his  golden 
seals  became  melodious.  Heaven  bless  him  !  We 
parted  in  silence,  and  the  itinerant  with  his  family 
turned  his  face  toward  his  new  field  of  labor. 

Throughout  the  years  I  have  had  occasional  cor- 

respondence  with  some  brethren  in  L .  Brother 

Sterling,  although  quite  aged,  is  yet  on  the  shores  of 
time,  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Here  is  a 
part  of  a  letter  I  received  from  him  some  time  ago  : 


2OO  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  I  am  yet  climbing  up  Zion's  hill.  I  am  nearing 
my  heavenly  home.  What  vast  changes  have  taken 
place  on  this  charge  since  18 — ,  when  you  were  our 
pastor  !  Father  and  Mother  Rogers,  as  you  know, 
passed  away  to  the  better  land  many  years  ago,  and 
so  have  many  others  that  you  well  knew.  The 
church  is  in  a  flourishing  condition  and  our  pastor 
is  greatly  beloved.  Mary,  her  husband  and  family, 
are  well  and  happy.  Their  son,  Gordon,  is  to  gradu- 
ate next  summer  at  Middletown.  He  is  a  fine  young 
fellow,  and  will  enter  the  ministry.  Rev.  Mr.  M. 
and  Alice  have  a  son  who,  although  quite  young,  has 
begun  to  preach.  They  say  he  is  very  promising.  I 
am  sorry  to  inform  you  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frothing- 
ham  are  out  of  the  church.  You  will  remember 
that  when  you  were  with  us  they  took  letters  and 
joined  the  society  that  worshiped  at  the  Red  School- 
house.  But  their  extreme  love  of  money  made 
them  very  unpopular  in  their  new  relation.  Some 
years  ago,  in  some  pork  transaction,  his  dishonesty 
became  so  manifest  that  he  was  arrested,  and  he 
•had  to  pay  quite  a  sum  to  save  himself  from  prison  ; 
and  his  wife  being  an  assistant  hi  the  fraud  they 
were  both  expelled  from  the  church.  Our  love  to 
Mrs.  C.  We  hear  grand  news  of  your  children,  and 
we  congratulate  the  parents.  Albert  and  Mary 
unite  with  me  in  sending  their  warmest  regards. 
"  Yours  in  Christ, 

"GORDON  STERLING." 

Since  that  day  I  have  had  much  experience  with 
all  kinds  of  temperaments  and  dispositions  in  the 


The  Man  with  the  Ruffled  Shirt.          201 

Church  of  Christ.  I  have  seen  pride  arrayed  "  in 
purple  and  fine  linen,"  and  I  have  seen  it  also  in  the 
cheapest  calico.  I  have  seen  humility  in  extreme 
simplicity  of  apparel,  and  I  have  seen  the  same  hu- 
mility in  rich  attire.  A  fashionable  garment  or 
bonnet  is  no  proof  of  pride,  and  the  reverse  is  no 
proof  of  humility.  The  persons  may  be  proud  or 
they  may  be  humble  ;  but  it  is  wholly  unsafe  to 
judge  them  by  their  dress  alone.  And  if  there  are 
any  of  my  young  brethren  in  the  ministry  who,  like 
myself  once,  are  disposed  to  measure  an  individual's1 
religion  by  the  cut  of  a  coat  or  the  style  of  a  hat, 
let  them  remember  my  sad  mistake  in  regard  to  the 
man  with  the  ruffled  shirt,  and  wait  for  further  de- 
velopments. 


2O2  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 


JOHN'S   WIFE'S   BROTHER. 

A   THANKSGIVING    STORY. 


CHAPTER   I. 
NEIGHBORS  AT  VARIANCE. 

IN  a  farming  portion  of  Connecticut,  known  in 
that  town  as  The  Flats,  there  lived,  twenty- 
eight  years  ago,  two  families  which,  as  the  term  is 
used,  were  well-to-do.  Their  respective  farms  were 
models  of  culture  and  productiveness.  The  res- 
idences were  fine,  the  out-houses  commodious,  the 
carriages  of  the  most  modern  style,  and  the  horses 
among  the  most  valuable  in  the  town.  These  fam- 
ilies lived  within  a  half  a  mile  of  each  other  and 
their  land  joined.  The  owners  were  David  Brain- 
ard  and  Richard  Brown.  Unfortunately,  these  two 
men  were  very  much  alike  in  their  mental  temper- 
ament. We  say  unfortunately,  because  their  dispo- 
sition was  of  an  unfavorable  cast.  They  were  proud, 
jealous,  and  retaliating ;  especially  so  toward  each 
other.  This  antagonism  had  existed  for  many  years 
and  was  gathering  strength  by  age.  It  began  with 
a  line  fence,  over  which  they  went  to  law,  and  ever 
since  then  they  \vere  known  as  decided  foes.  Brain- 
ard  had  a  wife  and  one  daughter.  Katie  was  mild 


Johns   Wife's  Brother.  203 

and  lovely,  just  entering  her  eighteenth  year.  Brown 
had  a  wife  and  five  children.  Emma,  the  oldest, 
was  married,  and  lived  some  six  miles  away.  John 
also  had  married,  in  his  twenty-third  year,  and  was 
employed  as  a  book-keeper  in  New  York.  Fred 
was  in  his  twenty-first  year,  a  diligent  worker  on 
the  farm.  There  were  also  at  home  Mary  and  Alice, 
one  eighteen  and  the  other  sixteen.  To  the  credit 
of  these  wives  and  children  it  may  be  said  that 
they  were  much  more  sensible  in  their  behavior 
than  were  the  husbands  and  fathers.  We  may  as 
well  say  here  that  Fred  Brown  and  Katie  Brainard 
were  often  seen  together,  that  they  cherished  for 
each  other  feelings  which  simple  friendship  could  not 
explain,  and  that,  finally,  at  a  favorable  opportunity 
the  yoijng  man  revealed  to  the  maiden  the  real  sen- 
timent of  his  heart. 

"  Fred,"  said  the  young  lady,  "  I  thank  you  for 
your  love,  and  in  return  you  have  mine.  It  is  as 
full  and  pure  as  your  own.  But  in  view  of  the  feel- 
ings of  your  father  and  mine  we  must  look  for  op- 
position." 

"  Katie,  I  have  looked  that  matter  straight  in  the 
face,"  said  Fred.  "  I  am  ready  to  bear  joyfully  all 
the  opposition  from  my  own  father,  and  I  would 
most  gladly,  if  I  could,  bear  your  share  of  trouble." 

"  I  will  gladly  bear  my  own,  dear  Fred,"  was  her 
reply.  "  Let  us  hope  that  some  good  providence 
will  bring  about  a  happy  change  in  these  two  angry 
men." 

The  pure-hearted  twain  were  there  and  then  be- 
trothed, and  they  sought  their  respective  homes. 


2O4  Stories  of  City  and  Country. 

Before  long  Brown  saw  unmistakable  evidences 
of  his  son's  partiality  for  Katie  Brainard,  and  one 
day  he  was  summoned  into  the  parental  presence. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  the  father,  "  I  am  compelled  to 
believe  that  you  pay  special  attention  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  my  inveterate  enemy.  What  have  you  to 
say  for  yourself?  " 

"  It  is  even  so,  father,"  said  Fred.  "  We  are  ex- 
ceedingly fond  of  each  other;  and  in  this,  I  think, 
we  show  much  better  sense  than  our  fathers  do." 

"  Your  language  is  shameful,  sir  !  "  responded  the 
father.  "  I  am  not  here  to  argue.  I  command  you 
to  pay  no  more  attention  to  Dave  Brainard's  girl." 

"I  cannot  obey  your  command,"  said  Fred.  "We 
are  engaged.  I  am  fully  prepared  to  take  the  con- 
sequences. I  have  been  a  hard  worker  on  this  farm 
for  years,  and  in  a  few  months  I  shall  be  of  age.  If 
in  consequence  of  my  disobedience  to  your  com- 
mand in  this  matter  you  wish  me  to  leave,  just  say 
the  word,  and  I  shall  be  in  the  employ  of  some  other 
man  before  sundown." 

The  father  saw  that  his  son  was  terribly  in  ear- 
nest, and  was  perfectly  astonished  to  see  that  quiet 
boy  so  aroused.  He  well  knew  that  Fred's  services 
were  indispensable,  and  yet  how  could  he  bear  to 
have  his  command  disregarded  ?  He  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  he  would  try  and  retain  Fred  and 
some  of  his  own  dignity  at  the  same  time. 

"  It  is  of  no  use  to  stay  here  any  longer,"  he  said, 
in  a  much  altered  tone.  "  No,  I  don't  wish  you  to 
leave.  What  put  that  in  your  head  ?  You  may 
harness  the  horses  and  go  to  the  mill  after  feed." 


Jo /iris   Wife's  Brother.  205 

Thus  terminated  the  interview,  and  it  looked  as  if 
Fred  was  ahead. 

Let  us  now  go  to  the  Brainard  mansion  and  wit- 
ness an  interview  of  the  same  nature,  but  of  a  much 
milder  type.  This  one  daughter  had  much  influ- 
ence over  her  father.  She  was  the  pride  of  his  eye 
and  the  great  treasure  of  his  heart. 

"  Katie,"  said  he,  "are  you  not  aware  that  in  ac- 
cepting the  attention  of  Fred  Brown  you  are  show- 
ing your  father  great  disrespect?  " 

"  My  dear  papa,  I  would  not  do  such  a  thing  for 
the  world!"  said  Katie.  "Has  Fred  Brown  ever 
in  his  life  treated  you  in  an  unbecoming  manner?" 

"  No,  Katie,"  said  Brainard  ;  "  but  you  well  know 
that  his  father  is  my  enemy." 

"Yes,"  said  the  daughter;  "but  Fred  is  very 
sorry  that  his  father  treats  you  so.  Does  not  that 
make  a  difference,  papa  ?  " 

"Well,  I  think  it  does,"  said  the  father,  slowly. 
"  But  are  you  sure  of  that,  Katie?" 

"  Perfectly  sure!"  said  the  daughter,  with  em- 
phasis. 

"  Still,"  said  the  father,  "in  view  of  the  circum- 
stances I  think  you  had  better  drop  this  thing." 

"  O,  papa,  I  don't  think  that  you  really  mean 
that !  "  said  the  girl,  with  a  tear  in  her  eye.  "  Is 
there  a  finer  or  a  more  promising  young  man  in  all 
this  region  of  country  ?  Have  you  any  thing  against 
him  personally?  Is  there  a  single  blot  upon  his 
moral  character?  Is  he  not  splendid  in  form  and 
features?  And  we  have  pledged  to  each  other  our 
undying  love  !  Now,  can  my  good  papa,  that  I 


206  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

love  so  dearly,  in  view  of  all  this  tell  his  only  Katie 
to  '  drop  the  thing  '  ?  " 

"  No,  he  can't !  "  said  the  father,  wiping  away  a 
tear.  "  I  am  not  going  to  punish  two  pure  hearts 
for  the  meanness  of  old  Dick  Brown." 

The  girl  rushed  into  her  father's  arms  and  gave 
him  half  a  dozen  kisses  in  a  very  short  time. 


CHAPTER   II. 
THE  REBELLION  AND  A  REVIVAL. 

T    INCOLN    had  been   made  President,  and   the 

I j  Rebellion  was  already  a  terrible  reality.     The 

loyal  North  was  in  a  blaze  of  patriotic  excitement. 
Drums  beat,  cannon  roared,  and  banners  waved  in 
the  breezes.  Regiments  were  formed  and  volunteers 
by  the  thousands  rallied  under  the  flappings,  of  the 
stars  and  stripes.  Fred  Brown  felt  that  he  could 
willingly  die  in  so  grand  a  conflict.  The  conviction 
in  regard  to  his  duty  in  this  emergency  came  upon 
him  so  heavily  that  he  could  find  no  peace.  At 
last,  alone  with  his  God,  he  fell  on  his  knees  and 
consecrated  himself  to  the  service  of  his  country. 
In  words  that  burned  he  told  the  family  what  he 
had  determined,  and  hoped  that  they  would  consent. 
Their  approbation  was  given  amid  copious  tears. 
The  parting  was  bitter,  both  at  home  and  at 
Brainard's. 

"  Brave  Fred ! "  cried   Katie,  through  her  tears. 
"  Go,  with  my  prayers  and  blessing !     I  believe  we 


Johns   Wife's  Brother.  207 

shall  meet  again  on  The  Flats,  but  if  not,  Fred,  I 
am  yours  forever."     The  lovers  parted. 

Fred  became  a  member  of  a  regiment  organized 
and  completed  in  a  distant  city,  and  within  a  few 
weeks  of  his  departure  from  home  he  was  on  the 
field.  He  was  ever  faithful  in  his  correspondence. 
In  all  his  letters  he  declared  that  it  was  his  firm  pur- 
pose to  remain  in  the  army  until  the  Rebellion  would 
be  crushed  and  peace  fully  restored.  He  believed 
that  it  would  be  of  no  benefit  for  him  to  come  home 
on  a  leave  of  absence;  told  them  to  wait  patiently, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  war  he  would  come  to  stay. 

The  two  farmers  continued  in  their  antagonism 
until  the  fall  of  the  year  1863.  In  the  church  near 
by  there  was  a  very  deep  religious  feeling.  A  noted 
revivalist  was  just  commencing  his  labors  there,  and 
his  ministry  was  "  quick  and  powerful."  Among  the 
first  to  embrace  religion  was  Katie  Brainard,  and 
she  immediately  asked  the  prayers  of  the  church 
for  her  dear  father.  Through  her  importunity  she 
prevailed  upon  him  to  go  with  her  one  evening  to" 
the  meeting.  The  minister  preached  on  the  forgiv- 
ing spirit  of  Christ  as  contrasted  with  the  vindictive 
temper  manifested  in  so  many.  The  sermon  pro- 
duced a  most  wonderful  effect.  Brainard  saw  him- 
self as  in  a  mirror,  and  to  him  the  sight  was  dread- 
ful. Under  a  deep  feeling  he  bowed  in  prayer, 
made  a  humble  public  confession,  and  asked  the 
forgiveness  of  all  those  he  had  misused.  No  one 
present  doubted  his  sincerity. 

The  next  day  he  hastened  to  the  home  of  his  neigh- 
bor and  made  his  humble  penitential  statement : 


208  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  Brown,  for  years  I  have  treated  you  shamefully. 
Last  night  the  Lord,  by  his  servant,  showed  me  the 
depth  of  my  wicked  heart ;  I  fell  on  my  knees  to  ask 
forgiveness,  and  now  I  ask  your  pardon  also.  Brown, 
give  me  your  hand."  And  he  reached  out  his  own. 

"  Not  to-day,"  said  Brown.  "  This  is  rather  sud- 
den. I'll  think  the  matter  over." 

"  Yes,  do  !  "  said  Brainard.  "  And  may  the  Lord 
lead  you  into  the  right  way.  I  am  glad  that  I  have 
done  my  duty.  I  would  rejoice  to  see  you  at  meet- 
ing. Good  morning,  Brown,  and  may  God  bless 
you  ! " 

After  Brainard  left.  Brown  could  hardly  believe 
that  it  was  a  reality.  Already  he  felt  condemned 
in  view  of  the  manner  he  had  just  treated  his  neigh- 
bor. The  more  he  thought  of  the  matter  the  worse 
he  felt.  He  remained  in  a  state  of  mental  misery 
during  that  night  and  the  following  day.  The  next 
evening  he  found  his  way  to  the  sanctuary.  The 
evangelist  seemed  to  be  inspired,  and  closed  his  dis- 
course by  inviting  all  who  were  "  weary  and  heavy 
laden  "  to  come  forward.  A  large  number  came, 
and  among  them  was  seen  the  trembling  form  of 
Richard  Brown.  After  a  season  of  prayer  the  seek- 
ers were  requested  to  speak,  and  he  was  the  first 
one  to  rise. 

"  My  friends,"  said  Brown,  "  I  have  lived  a  god- 
less life.  I  have  set  a  bad  example  before  my  chil- 
dren. I  have  often  been  unkind  and  revengeful. 
'Neighbor  Brainard  and  myself  have  been  enemies 
for  years.  Yesterday,  like  a  Christian,  he  came  to 
my  house,  with  tears  in  his  eyes  and  love  in  his 


Johns   Wife's  Brother.  209 

heart,  and  begged  my  pardon  just  as  if  the  fault  was 
all  on  one  side.  He  reached  out  his  hand  and  I 
wickedly  refused  to  take  it.  I  have  been  in  perfect 
misery  ever  since.  I  view  myself  as  a  guilty  sinner 
before  God.  I  have  been  conceited  and  self-right- 
eous. I  have  treated  Brainard  spitefully  for  twenty 
years.  Before  this  congregation  I  ask  his  forgive- 
ness, and  if  that  hand  is  offered  to  me  once  more 
O  how  quickly  I  shall  grasp  it !  " 

Here  the  tall  form  of  David  Brainard  was  seen 
marching  down  the  aisle,  and  in  a  few  moments  two 
friendly  hands  were  gladly  joined  and  all  hardness 
buried  deep  at  the  foot  of  the  cross. 

The  meetings  were  a  grand  success.  Brainard 
and  Brown  became  active  members  in  the  same 
church,  and  were  noted  for  their  unity  and  harmony 
in  every  measure  pertaining  to  the  society. 

The  spring  of  1865  arrived,  and,  although  the  Re- 
bellion was  drawing  near  to  its  inglorious  end,  the 
battles  were  sanguinary  and  closely  contested. 
Among  these  was  the  memorable  conflict  of  Five 
Forks.  The  carnage  was  fearful  among  both  our 
officers  and  men.  The  first  account  of  it  appeared 
without  many  particulars.  Later  came  a  partial  list 
of  the  slain,  and  among  these  was  found  the  name  of 
Fred  Brown  !  This  news  was  crushing,  and  tears 
freely  flowed  over  the  sad  fate  of  one  so  dearly 
loved.  In  a  few  days  a  letter  came  from  his  colonel, 
to  this  effect : 

"MR.  BROWN,  DEAR  SIR:     Already  you  have 

heard  the  sorrowful  news  of  the  death  of  your  son 
14 


2io  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

at  Five  Forks.  Fred  Brown  was  one  of  the  bravest 
of  the  brave.  By  the  desperate  force  of  the  enemy's 
charge  our  ranks  were  scattered  and  our  regiment 
divided.  Your  son  throughout  the  day  was  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight.  The  burial  of  our  dead,  on 
the  second  day,  was  attended  to  after  dark,  by  the 
light  of  lanterns,  and  without  much  order  ;  so  there 
is  no  hope  of  securing  his  remains.  Your  son  was 
a  true  Christian  and  a  thorough  soldier. 
"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"CHARLES   D ." 

This  news  from  the  seat  of  war  overwhelmed  the 
Brown  family  in  sorrow,  and  not  less  deep  was  the 
grief  of  one,  at  least,  at  the  residence  of  David 
Brainard.  In  solitude  Katie  poured  out  her  feel- 
ings before  her  heavenly  Father.  But  a  wise  Prov- 
idence has  so  ordered  that  time  will  assuage  the 
keen  pangs  of  bereavement  and  heal  in  a  measure 
the  crushed  and  wounded  spirit.  It  was  so  here, 
and  gradually  a  calm  resignation  took  the  place  of 
excessive  grief. 

Richard  Brown,  notwithstanding  the  crookedness 
of  his  former  temper,  had  been  fond  of  his  children, 
and  on  Thanksgiving  of  each  year  had  given  them 
a  most  cordial  welcome. 

"  Well,  my  dear,"  said  the  husband,  "  we  have 
abundant  reason  for  thanksgiving  this  year,  although 
sadly  afflicted." 

"  Let  us  at  least  try  on  that  day  to  be  cheer- 
ful, for  the  sake  of  the  children,"  said  Mrs. 
Brown. 


Johns   Wife's  Brother.  2 \  I 

"Wisely  said,"  was  the  reply.  "I  have  thought 
it  would  be  well  to  invite  our  pastor." 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  thought  of  it,"  said  his  wife ; 
"  what  say  you  to  my  asking  Katie  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  one  that  I  would  rather  welcome," 
said  Mr.  Brown  ;  "  she  is  one  of  the  Lord's  bright 
jewels." 

Just  then  Mary  came  in  and  said,  "  Papa,  here  is 
a  letter  from  John."  It  was  soon  opened  and  read 
aloud  : 

NEW  YORK,  November  — ,  1865. 

"  DEAR  FOLKS  AT  HOME  :  Of  course  we  are  com- 
ing! We  would  not  miss  it  for  a  big  pile.  To  us 
it  is  the  grandest  day  in  all  the  year.  How  I  love 
that  dear  old  mansion  !  Little  Freddie  is  talking 
about  it  continually.  By  the  way,  you  have  often 
heard  my  wife  speak  of  her  brother  at  the  South. 
He  has  been  with  us  a  few  days,  and  a  grand  good 
fellow  he  is.  Although  for  years  among  the  rebels 
he  is  Union  to  the  back-bone.  We  cannot  miss  our 
Thanksgiving,  and  of  course  Jennie  will  not  leave 
her  brother;  and  so  she  has  concluded  to  bring  him 
along.  I  cannot  tell  exactly  at  what  time  we  shall 
arrive.  You  need  not  meet  us  at  the  depot  ;  we  can 
easily  find  conveyance.  I  think  we  shall  be  in  time 
for  the  service.  Love  to  all,  from 

"  JOHN  AND  JOHN'S  WIFE." 

"  The  dear  boy  !  "  said  his  mother.  "  I  am  glad 
that  he  is  recovering  his  old  cheerfulness.  Yes, 
Jennie  often  spoke  of  her  brother  in  Virginia,  and 
we  shall  be  right  glad  to  see  him." 


212  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  If  he  is  any  thing  like  his  sister,"  said  Mary, 
"  he  will  be  good  company." 

"  If  he  had  been  of  Jennie's  temperament,"  said 
Alice,  "  he  would  not  be  a  bachelor  at  forty-five.  I 
put  him  down  as  cold  and  unsociable." 

"  I  think  you  will  find  yourself  mistaken,"  said 
Mary. 

"  We  shall  see,"  said  Alice.  "  If  he  is  an  icicle 
we  shall  put  him  under  Katie  Brainard's  warm  sun- 
beams, and  if  he  don't  melt  then  he  is  a  hopeless 
case." 


CHAPTER    III. 
THANKSGIVING  AT  THE  BROWN  MANSION. 

r  I  iHE  Thanksgiving  of  1865  at  last  arrived,  when 
a  saved  nation  poured  forth  its  grateful  offer- 
ing at  the  shrine  of  the  King  of  kings.  The  serv- 
ice at  the  church  was  to  be  at  eleven,  and  at  the 
Brown  mansion  there  were  high  expectations  for 
the  appearance  of  the  New  Yorkers.  They  came, 
and  were  received  with  joy  and  welcome.  John's 
wife,  as  usual,  was  in  high  spirits,  while  her  coun- 
tenance beamed  with  life  and  intelligence;  and  her 
brother,  contrary  to  Alice's  prediction,  proved  at 
once  that  he  could  be  highly  agreeable.  He  was 
tall,  straight,  and,  from  his  appearance,  might  be 
past  forty.  He  wore  a  full  beard  thickly  sprinkled 
with  gray. 

"Blessed  old  home!"  cried   John,  in   perfect  de- 
light.    "  Thou  art  more   dear  to  me  than  any  spot 


Jo] ins   Wife's  Brother.  213 

in  the  wide,  wide  world ! "  And  he  gave  his  mother 
and  sisters  a  second  edition  of  his  very  demonstra- 
tive kisses.  "  We  have  passed  through  deep  afflic- 
tion," he  continued,  while  tears  filled  his  eyes  ;  "  but 
on  this  day  we  will  be  cheerful,  and  thank  God  for 
restored  peace  and  a  thousand  other  blessings." 

At  the  church  the  congregation  was  very  large, 
and  the  sermon  by  Rev.  Mr.  Powell  was  a  fine  pro- 
duction and  exceedingly  appropriate.  The  termina- 
tion of  the  war  and  the  preserved  Union  were  dwelt 
upon  in  sentences  touching  and  sublime.  John's 
wife's  brother  was  deeply  interested,  and  even  af- 
fected. The  services  closed,  and  the  people,  after 
indulging  in  hearty  greetings,  departed  to  their 
various  happy  homes. 

Rev.  Mr.  Powell  and  his  wife,  with  Katie  Brain- 
ard,  in  harmony  with  a  previous  arrangement,  went 
home  with  the  Brown  family,  and  a  goodly  number 
was  seated  in  the  large  parlor. 

Soon  the  conversation  became  general  and  an- 
imated. The  parents  thought  they  had  never  seen 
John's  wife  so  happy,  and  on  that  account  they  were 
delighted.  She  was  brilliant  and  witty  beyond  her- 
self; and  yet,  at  times,  a  certain  moisture  in  her 
eyes  showed  that  she  was  not  indifferent  to  the  deep 
sorrow  that  rested  on  the  family. 

"  Brother,"  said  John,  "  you  don't  wonder — do 
you? — at  the  flow  of  spirit  Jennie  and  myself  show 
on  this  occasion.  It  is  not  every  New  Yorker  from 
the  country  that  can  return  on  Thanksgiving  to  a 
home  like  this." 

"  I  don't  wonder  at  all,"  said  the  gentleman  from 


214  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

the  South.  "  If  ever  I  should  become  settled  in 
life  I  would  like  to  find  a  quiet  rest  on  a  farm  in 
this  part  of  the  country." 

"  And  I  would  advise  you  to  hurry  up,"  said 
John.  "  You  are  getting  old,  and  your  chances  are 
not  improving." 

"  John  Brown,  my  brother  is  not  old  !  "  said  Jen- 
nie, with  some  spirit.  "  He  is  younger  than  he  looks. 
If  it  were  not  for  that  horrid  gray  beard  he  would 
pass  for  a  young  man,  and  some  New  England  young 
lady  would  fall  in  love  with  him." 

"  If  I  thought  there  was  any  hope  for  me  in  that 
line,"  said  the  brother,  "  I  would  get  rid  of  my  gray 
beard  at  once.  That  would  be  but  a  very  short 
job." 

"  Upon  my  word,  mother,"  said  Jennie,  with  her 
eyes  sparkling,  "  I  believe  this  brother  of  mine  has 
been  deceiving  us  with  a  false  beard  !  I  will  see, 
sir,  about  that  matter!"  She  ran  up  to  him,  sat 
on  his  lap,  and  with  one  motion  of  the  hand  removed 
the  massive  beard,  and  there  sat  before  them,  in 
more  than  his  former  beauty,  Fred  Brown,  whom 
they  had  long  mourned  as  dead ! 

The  scene  then  beggared  description ;  compared 
with  the  reality  all  language  must  be  tame.  There 
was  one  united  spontaneous  cry  of  perfect  joy,  with 
a  rush  toward  him  of  father,  mother,  and  sisters, 
who,  for  a  time,  overwhelmed  him  with  their  warm 
embraces.  It  was  a  scene  of  blissful  confusion. 
They  were  intoxicated  with  delight.  Katie  wept 
out  her  joy  leaning  on  the  bosom  of  Mrs.  Powell. 
Of  course  John  and  his  wife,  who  had  planned  the 


Joliris   Wife's  Brother.  215 

whole,  were  not  moved  in  the  same  manner  as  were 
the  rest.  But  Jennie  was  perfectly  delighted,  and 
in  a  rich  warbling  voice  she  sang : 

"And  we'll  all  feel  gay 

When  Johnnie  comes  marching  home." 

"  Well,"  said  John,  when  comparative  silence  had 
been  restored,  "  perhaps  this  company  would  be 
glad  to  know  how  my  wife's  brother  happens  to  be 
here,  creating  such  an  uproar  at  our  Thanksgiving, 
after  his  death  and  burial  at  Five  Forks.  Will  he 
please  explain?" 

"  I  can  assure  you,  upon  the  most  positive  evi- 
dence, that  I  was  neither  killed  nor  buried,*'  said 
Fred.  "  It  is  not  strange,  however,  that  my  name 
appeared  among  the  slain,  for  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  second  day,  until  sunset,  I  was  in  the  thickest 
of  the  fight.  The  last  charge  of  the  enemy  was 
terrific  beyond  any  thing  I  had  witnessed.  In  some 
way  which  I  cannot  explain,  instead  of  having  re- 
treated with  our  men  I  found  myself  in  a  fighting 
attitude  in  the  midst  of  the  rebels.  It  is  a  wonder 
that  I  was  not  instantly  shot  or  pierced  through  by 
half  a  dozen  bayonets.  A  Confederate  soldier  close 
by  said,  in  a  kind  voice : 

" '  Better  drop  that  musket,  or  you  will  be  a  dead 
Yank  in  less  than  ten  seconds.' 

"  I  realized  the  situation,  threw  down  my  gun, 
and  was  made  a  prisoner,  and,  as  far  as  I  know,  the 
only  prisoner  from  our  regiment.  Our  officers,  being 
confident  that  no  prisoners  had  been  taken,  and,  not 
finding  me  among  the  wounded,  concluded  that  I 


216  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

was  among  the  slain  who  had  been  hurriedly  buried 
after  dark. 

"  With  others  I  was  conveyed  to  a  prison  in  the 
far  South,  where  we  remained  for  months  without 
the  least  facility  for  correspondence.  At  last  the 
Rebellion  was  crushed,  and  after  a  tedious  journey 
we  found  ourselves  at  the  military  head-quarters  in 
Petersburg,  Va.  I  reported  myself  as  well  as  I  could, 
and  learned  that  my  name  was  among  the  slain.  The 
officers  gave  me  papers  and  a  free  conveyance  to 
Washington.  Here  I  was  informed  that  my  reg- 
iment had  been  mustered  out  some  two  weeks 
before.  My  statements  were  found  to  be  correct. 
The  pay-rolls  were  examined  and  I  received  my 
backpay  for  eight  months.  I  might  have  sent  a  word 
home,  but  I  felt  a  strong  desire  to  surprise  you  in 
person.  I  went  to  New  York.  John  and  Jennie 
were  almost  crazy  with  delight,  and  you  see  they 
have  not  got  over  it  yet.  For  this  bit  of  deception 
you  must  hold  these  New  Yorkers  responsible. 
Jennie  insists,  and  that  correctly,  that  I  am  her 
brother  from  the  South.  I  am  highly  proud  of 
such  a  sister.  Is  not  this  a  grand  day  to  come 
home  on?" 

"Our  cup  is  full,  and  running  over!"  said  the 
happy  father.  "  The  Lord  has  given  us  beauty  for 
ashes  and  joy  for  mourning." 

"  We  have  met  together  on  many  a  joyous  occa- 
sion," said  the  pastor,  "  but  this  is  the  happiest  day 
of  my  life." 

Dinner  was  announced.  Fred  took  the  happy 
and  blushing  Katie  to  the  table,  and  all  were  seated. 


Johns   Wife's  Brother.  217 

Rev.  Mr.  Powell  asked  a  blessing  suited  to  the  occa- 
sion, and  a  merrier  company  was  never  seen  at  a 
Thanksgiving  dinner. 

It  soon  became  known  in  the  neighborhood  that 
the  gentleman  seen  at  church,  and  said  to  be 
John's  wife's  brother,  was  Fred  Brown  in  disguise. 
The  news  ran  like  wild-fire.  Early  in  the  afternoon, 
by  special  invitation,  David  Brainard  and  his  wife 
had  the  pleasure  of  grasping  the  hand  of  the  re- 
turned soldier.  In  the  evening  the  hguse  was  grandly 
illuminated,  and  the  band  from  the  neighboring  vil- 
lage, accompanied  by  hundreds,  assembled  in  front 
of  the  mansion  and  made  the  air  vocal  with  shouts 
and  melody. 

On  the  following  Christmas  morning,  at  the  res- 
idence of  the  bride,  Fred  Brown  and  Katie  Brainard 
were  united  in  holy  matrimony.  Amid  the  good 
wishes  of  a  hundred  guests  the  happy  pair  left  for 
Baltimore,  where  the  bride  had  near  relatives.  On 
their  return,  at  the  earnest  request  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brainard,  Fred  remained  with  them,  and  in  time 
became  the  manager  of  the  large  farm.  He  is  at 
present  in  the  vigor  of  noble  manhood,  surrounded 
by  a  charming  wife  and  lovely  children.  The  mother 
delights  to  tell  the  younger  ones  the  story  of  that 
wonderful  Thanksgiving  day  when,  twenty-five 
years  ago,  at  their  Grandpa  Brown's,  the  company 
was  thrown  into  raptures  by  the  return  from  the 
South  of  Johns  wife's  brother. 


218  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 


THE  CONSPIRACY. 

A  STORY  OF  THE  MEOES  ANO  PERSIANS, 


-   CHAPTER   I. 
AN  AGED  PRIME  MINISTER. 

ON  that  fatal  night  of  Belshazzar's  impious  feast, 
when  the  God  of  Israel  was  blasphemed  by  a 
wicked  sovereign  in  the  presence  of  a  thousand  of 
his  lords,  and  when  high  and  low  officials  were  en- 
gaged in  drunken  revelry,  the  legions  of  the  Per- 
sian prince  on  the  bed  of  the  drained  Euphrates 
found  their  way  into  the  great  metropolis  of  Chal- 
dea.  On  that  night  Belshazzar  was  slain,  and  with 
him,  as  such,  passed  away  the  Assyrian  Empire. 

When  Cyrus  had  sufficiently  regulated  his  affairs 
at  Babylon  he  took  a  journey  to  Persia.  On  his 
way  thither  he  went  through  Media  to  visit  his 
uncle,  King  Darius.  After  a  brief  stay  in  Persia  he 
returned  to  Babylon  in  company  with  his  uncle, 
where  together  they  formed  a  scheme  of  govern- 
ment for  the  whole  empire. 

The  fame  of  Daniel,  as  one'who  had  served  under 
so  many  kings,  was  extensive.  And  since  the 
night  of  the  fatal  feast,  when  he  explained  to  the 
frightened  potentate  the  mysterious  handwriting 


The  Conspiracy.  219 

on  the  wall,  he  was  held  in  greater  reverence  than 
ever. 

"  This  Daniel,"  said  Cyrus  to  Darius  the  Mede, 
"was  brought  from  the  land  of  Judah,  a  royal  cap- 
tive, about  the  commencement  of  Nebuchadnezzar's 
reign.  He  was  soon  elevated  to  posts  of  honor 
which  he  filled  with  wonderful  skill  and  wisdom  ; 
and  of  all  the  persons  within  my  knowledge  I  con- 
sider this  Hebrew  sage  by  far  the  safest  man  to  ap- 
point as  chief  president." 

"  My  brother's  son  speaketh  wisely,"  answered 
Darius.  "  But  why  may  we  not  have  a  short  inter- 
view with  this  wonderful  man  ?" 

"Nothing  would  please  me  better,"  said  the 
prince.  "  I  will  have  him  here  without  delay." 

The  ex-minister  soon  made  his  appearance.  The 
interview  was  long.  At  last  the  king  asked : 

"  Is  Daniel  willing  to  serve  the  king  in  this  capac- 
ity, and  thus  shed  honor  upon  the  united  empire  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians?" 

"  For  the  short  period  I  may  tarry  among  mortals 
my  life  will  be  consecrated  to  your  service." 

"Then,  Daniel,"  said  the  king,  "  by  our  united 
power  and  authority  thou  art  appointed  chief  of  the 
presidents.  We  consider  well  thine  age,  and  give 
thee  full  liberty  to  procure  assistance.  But  let  the 
oversight  be  purely  thine.  Thou  art  now  released, 
and  may  the  gods  prosper  thee." 

One  year  had  passed  away,  and  closeted  together 
were  Ingron  and  Fragon,  the  two  presidents  under 
Daniel. 


22O  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  It  ill  becometh  the  wisdom  of  the  king  to 
place  over  our  heads  this  exacting  old  Hebrew," 
said  Ingron.  "  The  time  for  action  has  arrived. 
He  must  be  removed.  But  why  come  not  the 
princes?" 

The  door  opened  and  four  persons  walked  into 
the  apartment. 

"  Now  we  are  ready,"  continued  Ingron.  "  We 
might  have  brought  together  more  of  the  princes, 
but  we  have  made  a  wise  selection.  "What  availeth 
to  us  the  dignity  of  our  office,  as  long  as  we  must 
move  at  the  bidding  of  this  old  man,  petted  and 
spoiled  at  the  tables  of  the  kings  of  Chaldea  ?  To 
this  we  can  no  longer  submit.  He  must  be  removed 
from  office.  In  this  movement  are  ye  ready  to  as- 
sist your  superiors?" 

"Ready,  O  most  excellent  Ingron!"  was  the 
united  response  of  the  four  princes. 

"But  we  must  have  a  cause  of  complaint,"  said 
Bimrack. 

"True, "said  President  Fragon,  "and  a  cause 
must  be  found.  For  this  very  purpose  have  we  ad- 
mitted you  into  our  secret  council." 

The  interview  was  long  and  earnest.  Many  meth- 
ods were  considered,  and  schemes  introduced  worthy 
of  their  depraved  authors. 

"  When  and  where  shall  be  the  place  of  our  next 
meeting?"  asked  Bimrack. 

"  In  one  week  let  us  meet  at  the  garden  of  the 
castle,  where  the  air  will  be  balmy  and  the  heat  more 
moderate,"  was  the  reply.  "  There  we  shall  not  be 
interrupted,  as  we  have  been  repeatedly  at  this  time. 


The  Conspiracy.  221 

In  order  to  be  secure  we  shall  enter  the  garden  at  a 
late  hour  of  the  night."  Further  arrangements  were 
made  and  the  company  separated. 

The  day  following  this  interview  the  tall  bending 
form  of  Fragon  was  seen  hastening  toward  the  office 
of  the  Hebrew  premier.  He  knocked,  and  was  ad- 
mitted with  due  respect. 

"  And  is  my  friend,  the  worthy  first  president,  to 
be  seen  this  morning?" 

"  My  worthy  master  is  in  another  apartment," 
answered  a  youth  in  attendance. 

"  I  wish  to  be  shown  into  his  presence." 

The  young  man  led  the  way,  and  Fragon,  with  a 
countenance  clothed  in  smiles  and  a  heart  overflow- 
ing with  malice,  was  conducted  into  the  presence 
of  Daniel. 

"  I  had  the  impression  that  my  lord,  the  president, 
was  alone,"  said  Fragon,  "  and  I  ask  his  forgiveness 
for  this  interruption."  v 

"Thou  art  welcome  at  all  times,"  said  the  first 
president.  "This  is  Apgomer,  an  old  friend  and  a 
companion  of  my  youthful  days." 

"  And  one  of  thine  own  nation?"  asked  Fragon. 

"  Nay,  my  friend  is  a  native  Chaldean,  as  were 
his  parents  before  him,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Then  together  ye  have  witnessed  the  glory  and 
power  of  the  kings  of  Babylon,"  said  Fragon.- 
"  Upon  the  whole,  have  we  not  reason  to  pronounce 
Nebuchadnezzar  the  greatest  and  most  illustrious  of 
all  kings?  " 

"  I  think  this  is  true  as  far  as  the  kings  of  Chal- 
dea  are  concerned,"  said  Daniel.  "  Of  other  kings 


222  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

I  am  not  prepared  to  speak.  If  my  worthy  friend, 
Fragon,  is  ready  to  pronounce  the  kings  of  Media 
and^  Persia  inferior  to  the  king  of  Babylon  he  is  at 
liberty  to  do  so." 

"  Nay,  may  the  gods  forbid  that  I  should  cherish 
such  a  thought !"  said  Fragon,  somewhat  alarmed. 

"  It  was  under  Nebuchadnezzar  that  our  temple 
in  Jerusalem  was  destroyed  and  our  people  led  into 
captivity,"  said  Daniel.  "I  received  much  kindness 
at  his  hands,  but  I  was  not  blind  to  his  many  faults." 

"Thou  speakest  of  thy  captive  countrymen," 
said  Fragon.  "  I  fear  that  many  of  them  are  in 
needy  circumstances.  This  ought  not  to  be.  Gold 
and  silver  in  rich  abundance  flow  into  our  treasuries. 
Why  not,  therefore,  direct  a  certain  yearly  sum  for 
the  special  benefit  of  this  worthy  people?" 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  as  a  class  they  are  in  needy 
circumstances,"  was  the  reply.  "There  may  be 
many  individual  cases  of  want,  and,  as  far  as  they 
come  to  my  knowledge,  I  am  not  slow  to  relieve 
them  from  my  own  private  means.  Such  a  step  as 
thou  recommendest  can  never  meet  my  approbation 
unless  first  proposed  by  the  king." 

"I  fear  our  excellent  first  president  is  over- 
cautious," said  Fragon.  "But  this  is  a  matter  I 
would  not  urge.  My  chief  object  to-day  is  to  ask 
another  favor.  We  have  heard  so  much  of  the 
superior  style  of  Chaldean  book-keeping,  and  in 
order  to  learn  and  adopt  your  system  we  have  ven- 
tured, after  hesitating  long,  to  ask  permission  to 
look  over  some  of  thy  office-books.  We  shall  retain 
them  but  for  a  short  time." 


The  Conspiracy.  223 

"  The  books  are  at  thy  disposal,"  said  Daniel,  "and 
thou  mayest  return  them  at  thy  convenience." 

"  Thou  art  ever  kind  and  obliging,"  said  Fragon. 
"  May  the  gods  be  the  sure  support  of  our  most  ex- 
cellent first  president  ;"  and  the  conspirator  left. 

"  May  the  gods  curse  him  !"  muttered  t-he  foiled 
Fragon,  when  he  had  reached  the  street.  "  The 
fortress  is  strong,  but  it  shall  be  taken  !" 

44  What  thinketh  my  good  friend  Apgomer  of 
President  Fragon?"  asked  Daniel,  with  a  smile. 

"  His  words  were  kind,"  was  the  answer;  "but 
I  am  not  so  well  convinced  of  his  sincerity." 

"Apgomer,"  said  Daniel,  "that  man  is  my  deadly 
enemy.  Every  word  he  said  was  conceived  in  malice. 
First,  he  endeavored  to  have  me  speak  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar as  superior  to  the  kings  of  Media  and  Persia. 
He  then  with  lying  hypocrisy  proposed  that  I 
should  take  the  nation's  money  and  give  it  to  the 
Hebrews;  and  under  a  pretense  of  adopting  a  new 
mode  of  book-keeping  they  ask  for  the  parchments 
in  the  hope  of  finding  mistakes." 

"  O,  the  depravity  of  their  hearts  !"  cried  his  aged 
friend.  "  But  their  search  will  be  vain." 

The  night  was  calm  and  beautiful.  The  bright, 
full  orb  poured  its  silvery  rays  on  the  bosom  of  the 
deep-flowing  Euphrates.  The  garden  had  been 
thronged  with  thousands  of  merry  hearts  who  had 
gone  thither  to  enjoy  the  grandeur  of  the  moon- 
light scenes.  But  the  hours  had  quickly  fled,  and 
the  moonbeams  now  fell  on  the  perfect  stillness  of 
the  extensive  inclosure. 

The  faithful  keeper  was  about  to  close  the  mass- 


224  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

ive  doors,  when  six  men  stood  before  him  and 
demanded  admittance. 

"  At  this  late  hour  ye  cannot  be  admitted !  "  was 
the  stern  reply.  "  In  harmony  with  our  rules  the 
people  have  all  departed.  Return  to  your  lodgings 
at  once." 

"  Thou  art  a  brave  fellow,  and  an  honor  to  thy 
post,"  answered  Ingron.  "But  look  thou  here! 
Thou  standest  in  the  presence  of  two  of  the  chief 
presidents  and  four  of  the  princes  of  the  prov- 
ince. Gaze  on  these  stars!" 

"  I  humbly  beg  the  forgiveness  of  my  lords,  the 
presidents  !"  cried  the  keeper.  "  I  had  no — " 

"  Thou  art  a  worthy  keeper."  interrupted  Fragon. 
"The  night  is  sultry,  and  we  wish  for  an  hour  to 
enjoy  the  loveliness  of  the  scene."  And  the  six  en- 
tered the  garden. 

The  conference  was  long  and  the  conspirators 
desperate  and  determined.  But  with  all  their  in- 
genuity and  depth  of  malice  they  could  find  no 
way  by  which  to  bring  about  their  cruel  design. 
The  books  had  been  examined,  and  no  mistakes 
could  be  found.  They  were  about  to  give  up  in 
despair,  for  that  night,  when  Bimrack  said : 

"  I  know  of  but  one  measure  with  which  we  can 
ensnare  the  old  Hebrew.  It  must  be  something 
concerning  the  law  of  his  God.  Let  us  form  a  de- 
cree, and  prevail  upon  the  king  to  sign  it,  that  no 
person  within  the  province  of  Babylon  shall  offer 
any  prayer  to  any  god  but  to  the  king  alone  for 
the  space  of  thirty  days,  and  that  in  case  of  a  vio- 
lation the  offender  shall  be  thrown  into  the  lions' 


The  Conspiracy.  225 

den.  This  puts  all  on  an  equal  footing,  and  it  will 
shield  us  from  suspicion.  It  pours  homage  at 
the  feet  of  Darius.  Let  us  come  upon  him  sud- 
denly. It  will  flatter  his  vanity  and  he  will  sign 
the  writing.  There  is  no  human  power  that  can 
keep  the  old  foreigner  from  the  worship  of  his  God. 
We  must  expect  to  meet  some  difficulties.  The 
king  must  be  deceived.  We  must  unitedly  affirm 
that  this  movement  has  the  sanction  of  the  first 
president.  He  will  deny  it.  But  the  positive  tes- 
timony of  six  men  will  outweigh  his  denial." 

With  this  the  company  was  in  ecstasy,  and  Bim- 
rack  was  highly  complimented  for  the  ingenuity  of 
his  scheme.  They  renewed  their  oath  of  fidelity  to 
each  other  and  were  ready  for  their  departure. 

"Hark!"  said  Scramo.  "Heard  ye  not  that 
voice  ?  I  fear  that  we  are  not  alone  in  this  garden  !" 

"  We  heard  no  voice,"  was  the  reply;  "  it  is  only 
thy  imagination.  What  did  the  voice  resemble?" 

"  It  resembled  a  human  groan,"  was  the  reply. 

A  search  was  made,  but  too  late.  A  door  gently 
opened  on  the  garden-wall  and  a  venerable  Chal- 
dean was  safely  lodged  in  his  little  chamber. 

The  work  of  shaping  this  law  and  giving  reasons 
for  its  enactment  was  given  to  Scramo.  They 
agreed  to  meet  the  next  night,  at  the  residence  of 
Ingron,to  complete  the  arrangements,  and  they  left 
the  garden  of  the  castle. 

The  next    morning  at  an   early  hour  Apgomer 
sought  his  friend  Daniel,  and  revealed  to  him  all 
the  wicked  plottings  to  which  he  had  secretly  list- 
ened on  the  night  before. 
15 


226  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  Let  them  proceed  in  their  scheme  of  wicked- 
ness," said  the  holy  man.  "The  God  in  whom  I 
trust  shall  vindicate  the  honor  of  his  own  law.  I 
could  easily  frustrate  all  their  malicious  designs. 
But  the  cause  of  Jehovah  shall  gather  more  strength 
from  a  display  of  his  power  in  preserving  his  servant 
from  harm.  The  life  of  Daniel  will  be  as  safe  in 
the  lions'  den  as  in  the  midst  of  his  friends  at  home. 
Let  not  Apgomer  be  troubled,  and  let  our  knowl- 
edge of  this  plot  be  revealed  to  no  one  until  the 
proper  time." 


CHAPTER   II. 
ROYALTY   DECEIVED. 

AGAIN  the  great  city  of  Babylon  was  all  excite- 
ment, and  expectation  was  raised  to  its  high- 
est pitch.  The  long-expected  day  had  at  last  ar- 
rived, and  the  grand  entry  of  Darius,  the  Mede,  was 
momentarily  expected  by  an  enthusiastic,  curious 
throng.  The  new  king  was  regarded  by  the  Baby- 
lonians generally  in  a  favorable  light.  Such  had 
been  the  profligacy  and  tyranny  of  their  late  sover- 
eign that  any  change  was  hailed  with  delight,  and, 
moreover,  the  mildness  of  Darius  toward  them  on  a 
previous  visit,  when  accompanied  by  Cyrus  the 
Persian,  had  greatly  won  their  regards.  Thousands 
of  the  people  had  gone  without  the  walls  to  meet 
him,  and  tens  of  thousands  were  seen  thronging  the 

'  O          O 

public   ground   in   the  vicinity  of  the  royal  palace. 
The  monarch's  triumphant  train  appeared   in  the 


The  Conspiracy.  227 

distance,  the  shining  spears  and  bright  armor  of  his 
guard  glittering  in  the  clear  sunbeams,  and  soon, 
amid  enthusiastic  shouts,  they  passed  in  through  the 
massive  portals. 

The  king  was  not  a  man  of  strong  moral  worth 
and  true  decision  of  character.  He  was  rather 
weak  in  mind,  and  easily  flattered.  Nevertheless 
he  was  a  person  of  tender  feelings,  and  cruelty  was 
no  part  of  his  nature.  He  was  greatly  elated  with 
the  warm  reception  he  received  at  the  hands  of  the 
Babylonians,  and  now  or  never  was  the  time  for  the 
foul  conspirators  to  try  their  power.  They  soon 
entered  the  palace. 

"  Welcome  into  the  presence  of  your  sovereign  !" 
said  the  king,  in  a  very  pleasant  mood.  "  Let  the 
full  desires  of  your  hearts  be  made  known  to  the  king, 
and  with  pleasure  he  will  grant  your  every  request." 

"  O  king,  live  forever  !"  said  Scramo.  "  Thou  art 
a  mighty  ruler.  Thy  dominions  are  well-nigh  un- 
bounded. Thy  rich  possessions  are  found  in  every 
clime.  The  name  of  Darius  falls  on  the  ears  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  and  they  stand  in  awe.  Now 
thou  knowest,  O  king,  that  the  provinces  are  well 
united,  and  may  the  gods  forbid  that  they  should  be 
otherwise.  There  are  a  few,  however,  within  this 
province  who  of  late  have  given  us  reason  to  -be- 
lieve that  they  do  not  consider  the  commands  of 
the  king  as  absolute,  and  that  in  certain  cases  they 
may  be  disregarded  without  any  danger.  This  is  a 
poisonous  plant  that  must  be  crushed  in  the  bud. 
We  have  had  this  subject  under  our  most  serious 
consideration.  We  have  thought  over  it  with 


228  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

throbbing  hearts.  Some  measure  of  a  startling 
nature  must  be  resorted  to  that  will  impress  upon 
the  minds  of  the  inhabitants  the  matchless  great- 
ness of  our  new  sovereign,  and  convince  all  that 
when  he  commands  he  must  be  obeyed.  There- 
fore, O  king,  with  thy  supreme  glory  and  the  good 
of  the  nation  at  heart,  thy  servants,  the  three  presi- 
dents and  the  princes,  have  enacted  this  law,  and  it 
is  now  presented  to  thee  for  thy  royal  signature  and 
seal."  And  the  parchment  was  handed  to  the  king 
with  a  trembling  hand. 

After  reading  it  the  monarch  said  :  "  If  in  your 
superior  wisdom  ye  have  judged  that  this  law  is  de- 
manded I  cannot  see  why  I  should  refuse  to  give  it 
countenance." 

'"  The  measure  will  be  hailed  with  joy,  O  king, 
among  all  thy  loyal  subjects,"  said  Fragon  ;  "  and  let 
those  who  dare  disobey  suffer  the  consequence. 
From  this  day  the  name  of  King  Darius  will  be  a 
terror  to  evil  doers,  and  if  he  has  any  enemies  they 
will  be  put  to  shame." 

"  It  is  surely  a  peculiar  enactment,"  said  the 
king,  as  he  took  the  pen  in  his  hand.  "  I  fail  to 
see  its  strong  points,  but  at  this  stage  of  my  reign 
I  am  not  prepared  to  oppose  a  measure  that  is  the 
offspring  of  the  combined  wisdom  of  my  realm.  If 
my  Persian  nephew  were  present  I  would  deem  it 
advisable  to  have  his  opinion,  but  as  he  is  off  in  the 
wars  I  cannot  avail  myself  of  that." 

So  the  king's  name  was  given  to  the  fatal  parch- 
ment and,  moreover,  it  was  sealed  with  the  seal  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians. 


The  Conspiracy.  229 

"  The  thing  is  done,"  said  Darius.  "  Is  there  any 
thing  more?" 

"  We  will  no  more  trespass  on  thy  time,  O  king," 
said  Bimrack  ;  "  but  will  now  return  to  our  respect- 
ive stations  to  carry  out  the  pleasure  of  our  illus- 
trious sovereign." 

The  conspirators,  with  bounding  hearts,  made 
their  way  in  haste  to  the  residence  of  President  In- 
gron,  and  swore  to  stand  together  in  the  malicious 
falsehood. 

The  next  day  the  streets  of  Babylon  rang  with 
the  proclamation  of  the  new  law.  At  first  it  was 
thought  by  many  to  be  a  mischievous  hoax.  But 
too  soon  it  was  known  to  be  a  reality. 

Now,  when  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing  was 
signed,  he  laid  aside  his  parchments,  closed  his  eyes 
for  a  moment  in  silent  devotion,  then  rose  and  en- 
tered his  little  chamber  where  for  so  many  years 
three  times  a  day  he  had  bowed  before  his  God  (a 
dear  spot  that  to  the  aged  premier !),  slowly  moved 
toward  an  open  window,*  and  with  his  face  toward 
Jerusalem  was  soon  engaged  in  humble  prayer. 

While  thus  engaged  he  heard  a  voice  close  by  his 
side  :  "  We  beg  pardon  for  this  intrusion.  We  will 
not  disturb  our  most  excellent  first  president  while 
he  makes  his  petitions  to  his  God." 

The  Hebrew  turned  his  head  to  see  the  receding 
forms  of  the  two  presidents  as  they  hastened  to  the 
street  below,  and  so  he  continued  his  supplications 
to  the  God  of  his  fathers. 

Again  the  conspirators  were  seen  in  the  presence 
of  the  sovereign.  "  It  is  our  painful  duty,  O  king," 


230  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

said  the  speaker,  "  to  inform  thee  that  Daniel,  who 
is  of  the  captivity  of  Judah,  regardeth  not  thee  nor 
the  law  thou  hast  signed,  but  maketh  his  petition  to 
his  God  three  times  a  day." 

"Daniel!"  replied  the  king,  "I  know  of  no 
Daniel  but  my  worthy  first  president,  whom  ye  say 
assisted  in  making  the  law." 

''This  same  Daniel,  O  king,  is  the  guilty  one," 
said  Fragon. 

"  What !"  cried  the  king,  rising  suddenly  ;  "  Dan- 
iel, noted  for  his  wisdom  ?  Ye  have  been  wrongly 
informed.  Beware  how  ye  thus  accuse  the  best  man 
in  Babylon !  " 

"We  are  eye-witnesses  of  his  guilt,  O  king," 
was  the  reply.  "  He  daily  makes  his  petitions  to 
his  God." 

"His  God  !  Who  can — but — if — say  ye  not  that 
Daniel  was  concerned  in  framing  this  law?  " 

"  He  was,  O  king !" 

"  To  me  it  seemeth  strange!"  said  Darius.  "  If 
I  find  that  in  this  matter  I  have  been  deceived  I 
swear  by  the  gods  I  will  pour  vengeance  upon  your 
guilty  heads.  I  must  see  the  first  president  and 
learn  more  of  this  matter  ere  I  take  another  step." 

"  Thou  hast  nothing  to  learn  from  him,  O  king, 
contrary  to  the  words  of  thy  servants,"  said  Fragon. 
"What  would  avail  his  denial  against  the  direct 
testimony  of  six  competent  witnesses?  The  law 
is  supreme  and  must  be  executed,  or  the  kingdom 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians  will  be  a  by-word  of 
derision." 

"  Ye  may  now  depart,"  said  the  king.     "  I  cannot 


The  Conspiracy.  231 

give  my  consent  to — of  this  we  can  speak  hereafter. 
To-morrow  call  on  the  king  and  ye  shall  then  learn 
his  pleasure."  And  the  conspirators  left  with  any- 
thing but  pleasurable  emotions,  while  Darius  at 
once  sent  for  Daniel. 

"  Thou  standest  before  the  king,  O  Daniel,  ac- 
cused of  violating  a  law,  chiefly  of  thine  own  mak- 
ing, by  offering  daily  petitions  to  thy  God.  What 
meaneth  all  this?  " 

"  I  readily  see  that  the  king  has  been  greatly 
deceived  in  this  matter,"  said  the  premier.  "  Thy 
servant  had  nothing  to  do  in  framing  a  law  repulsive 
to  his  soul  and  an  insult  to  his  God.  This  enact- 
ment came  from  mine  enemies  for  the  purpose  of 
my  overthrow.  For  over  four-score  years  I  have 
offered  prayers  to  my  God.  When  a  little  lad  in 
the  land  of  Judah  I  was  taught  by  a  beloved  mother 
to  lisp  the  name  of  Jehovah.  From  that  time  to 
this,  O  king,  at  morning,  noon,  and  eventide,  I  have 
regularly  offered  my  petitions.  And  is  Daniel  to 
be  frightened  from  his  duty  now  in  his  old  age  ? 
Nay,  O  king  !  Sooner  would  I  die  a  thousand  deaths 
than  prove  a  traitor  to  the  God  of  my  fathers." 

"  Daniel ! "  cried  the  king,  "  I  will  cut  these  lying 
wretches  to  pieces.  If  thou  sayest,  this  very  hour 
the  words  shall  go  forth." 

"  Nay.  O  king  !  "  was  the  reply.  "  The  decree  has 
gone  forth.  Let  the  law  have  its  course,  and  be 
assured  that  not  a  hair  of  thy  servant's  head  shall 
be  injured.  No  weapon  formed  against  me  shall 
prosper.  That  same  God  who  preserved  alive  the 
three  companions  of  my  youth  in  the  midst  of  a 


232  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

burning,  fiery  furnace  can  easily  tame  the  lions  and 
make  them  as  harmless  as  the  lambs  of  the  flock." 

The  king  was  affected  even  to  tears,  and  said, 
"  This  experiment  must  not  take  place.  I  know 
the  writing  is  signed.  My  heart  is  sad  !  My  soul 
is  sick.  But  vengeance  will  come  in  due  time! 
Daniel,  thou  mayest  now  depart." 

"  When  the  proper  hour  arrives  the  king  shall 
learn  from  other  lips  than  mine  the  deep  iniquity  of 
these  foul  conspirators.  Let  Jehovah  use  his  own 
measures  for  the  vindication  of  his  own  law."  And 
the  first  president  left  the  royal  presence. 

On  that  night  Darius  the  Mede  laid  his  head 
on  his  pillow  with  the  full  purpose  of  delivering 
Daniel. 

Early  on  the  morrow  the  conspirators  in  force 
appeared  again  before  the  king. 

"  Ye  are  punctual,"  said  the  monarch,  with  a 
meaning  glance.  "  Since  ye  left  me  yesterday  I 
have  had  a  long  interview  with  the  first  president, 
and  from  his  venerable  lips  I  learned  that  he  had 
no  voice  in  framing  this  law  that  he  has  violated. 
Now,  notwithstanding  your  testimonies,  which,  in 
point  of  law  must  outweigh  the  declaration  of  one 
man,  I  freely  declare  to  you  my  conviction  that  ye 
are  a  band  of  unprincipled  liars,  fully  bent  on  the 
destruction  of  this  Daniel." 

At  this  plain  royal  truth  the  conspirators  turned 
pale.  But  Fragon,  quickly  recovering  his  self-pos- 
session, replied  : 

"  Then  my  lord  the  king  can  better  believe  a 
man  that  defies  his  power,  by  boasting  of  his  de- 


The  Conspiracy.  233 

termination  to  violate  this  decree  at  least  three 
times  a  day,  than  he  can  his  faithful  servants  who 
honor  his  laws  and  who  desire  to  bring  the  guilty 
to  punishment.  Let  not  the  king  be  deceived  by 
the  smooth  tongue  of  this  old  Israelite,  who,  by  the 
eloquence  of  his  lips,  can  give  to  truth  the  color  of 
falsehood  and  to  deception  the  appearance  of  sin- 
cerity. Remember,  O  king,  that  the  decree  has 
gone  forth  and  that  it  cannot  be  recalled.  It  is 
well  understood  in  the  city  that  the  first  president 
sets  thy  power  at  defiance,  and  thy  decision  is 
watched  for  by  tens  of  thousands,  and  if  this 
Daniel  escapes  punishment  we  may  as  well  burn 
up  our  statute-books.  The  question  now  to  be  set- 
tled is  not,  How  came  this  law  to  be  enacted? 
but,  seeing  that  it  is  enacted,  Will  the  king  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians  put  it  in  force?  Shall  it  be 
told  in  the  streets  of  this  proud  city  that  the  king 
has  changed  his  mind,  and  is  sorry  for  what  he  has 
done,  because  one  of  his  favorites  has  violated  the 
law?" 

The  interview  was  long  and  severe,  and  all  the 
weight  of  their  hellish  ingenuity  was  brought  to 
bear  on  the  mind  of  the  king.  They  failed  to 
convince  him  that  Daniel's  words  were  false  ;  yet 
partly  from  a  false  view  of  consistency,  but  chiefly 
from  the  advice  of  the  first  president,  he  gave  his 
signature  to  the  death-warrant  of  the  aged  premier. 

The  news  soon  spread  through  all  Babylon,  and 
the  hour  of  the  prophet's  doom  was  well  under- 
stood. No  man  in  the  city  was  better  known  or 
more  loved  than  was  the  former  prime  minister  of 


234  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

Nebuchadnezzar.  The  poor  and  needy  had  found 
ready  relief  at  his  open  door.  The  little  children, 
even,  claimed  the  aged  man  as  their  particular 
friend.  The  mothers  broke  out  in  loud  weeping,  and 
the  universal  sympathy  was  with  the  condemned. 


CHAPTER  III. 
RETRIBUTION. 

day  arrived,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  first 
president's  residence  stood  groups  of  men  and 
women  with  sad  countenances  busily  engaged  in  low 
conversation.  These  gatherings  gradually  increased 
into  one  solid  mass.  It  was  a  solemn  throng.  The 
stillness  was  broken  by  the  appearance  of  several 
platoons  of  soldiers,  who  formed  a  square  in  front 
of  the  dwelling.  The  door  at  last  opened  and  two 
uniformed  officers  marched  out.  Next  appeared 
the  sheriff,  with  the  aged  prisoner  leaning  on  his 
arm. 

The  procession  was  soon  on  its  way  toward  the 
dreadful  spot,  while  the  weeping  of  hundreds  broke 
on  the  air.  They  speedily  reached  the  end  of  their 
journey,  where  thousands  had  already  gathered  in 
order  to  take  a  last  sad  look  at  their  distinguished 
fellow-citizen. 

Daniel  ascended  some  steps  near  by,  and  by  the 
permission  of  the  king,  who  was  present,  proceeded 
in  a  few  words  to  address  the  vast  throng  : 


The  Conspiracy.  235 

"  Babylonians  !  Here  in  the  presence  of  the  God 
of  my  fathers,  whom  I  worship,  in  the  presence  of 
my  king,  whom  I  respect,  in  the  presence  of  this 
throng,  whose  tears  flow  for  my  sorrow,  and  in  the 
presence  of  my  accusers,  who  thirst  for  my  blood, 
I  solemnly  declare  that,  as  first  president  of  the 
kingdom,  I  never  was  consulted  in  regard  to  the 
making  of  this  law  that  is  about  to  consign  your 
aged  servant  to  the  lions.  In  honor  to  my  king, 
who  now  laments  the  sad  fate  of  his  unworthy- 
servant,  let  me  testify  that,  in  order  to  persuade 
him  to  sign  a  decree  which  had  never  entered  his 
heart,  the  most  malicious  falsehoods  were  poured 
into  his  ears  by  those  whose  only  object  was  the 
overthrow  of  Daniel.  For  violating  this  law  I  ask 
no  forgiveness.  Babylonians,  I  say  no  more.  Ac- 
cept my  thanks  for  your  tears.  May  Jehovah  grant 
you  great  prosperity  when  your  aged  friend  shall 
have  passed  away!" 

Then  turning  to  those  whose  painful  duty  it  was 
to  lead  him  to  the  den  he  smilingly  said  : 

"Now  I  am  ready;  conduct  me  thither." 

The  prisoner  was  seized  by  strong  hands  and  con- 
signed to  his  fate,  while  the  throng  dispersed  in 
sorrowful  silence. 

How  sad  was  that  night  for  royalty !  Filled  with 
remorse  for  having  signed  the  fatal  decree  the  king 
passed  the  night  in  agony.  With  a  heavy  heart  and 
a  throbbing  brow  he  paced  the  length  of  his  royal 
bed-chamber,  and  thus  did  he  converse  in  his 
wretched  seclusion  : 

"  How  he  justified  the  king  almost  with  his  last 


236  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

sentence !  Why  did  I  sign  that  silly  and  cruel 
decree,  by  which  the  brightest  jewel  of  my  kingdom 
is  forever  lost?  How  the  multitude  sympathized 
with  the  noble  prisoner !  How  beloved  in  their 
estimation  was  the  aged  Daniel !  What  think  they 
by  this  time  of  my  prudence  and  wisdom  ?  Will 
his  God  indeed  deliver  him  ?  Is  he  not  already  torn 
by  the  hungry  lions?  If  he  is  not,  no  thanks  to 
me.  Will  not  the  people  inwardly  curse  me?  What 
will  my  nephew,  Cyrus,  think  of  my  power  of  dis- 
cernment ?  " 

He  threw  himself  upon  his  couch  in  the  hope  of 
drowning  his  mental  agony  in  slumber ;  but  the 
precious  boon  was  not  granted.  He  tossed  about 
on  his  downy  bed  the  very  picture  of  wretchedness. 
After  a  long  while  he  fell  into  a  doze  and  thought  him- 
self at  the  den  of  lions  gazing  on  the  bleeding,  man- 
gled form  of  the  first  president.  Terror-struck  he 
leaped  from  his  couch  and  found  himself  in  his  bed- 
chamber. Another  long  soliloquy  followed.  Again 
he  strove  to  find  repose  in  sleep,  but  no  sooner  were 
his  eyes  closed  than  the  imaginary  roaring  of  lions 
would  startle  and  terrify  the  wretched  potentate. 

Let  us  fora  while  leave  the  unhappy  monarch  and 
take  a  view  of  the  hero  of  the  lions'  den.  At  first 
he  calmly  walked  to  and  fro,  then  he  fell  upon  his 
knees,  and  with  uplifted  eyes  offered  prayer  to  the 
God  of  heaven.  A  number  of  young  lions,  quite 
unused  to  such  a  sight,  looked  on  in  silent  wonder. 
They  then  ran  together  to  the  other  end  of  the  den, 
where  the  old  lion  of  all,  the  "lord  of  the  manor," 
and  his  aged  companion,  the  old  lioness,  the  mis- 


The  Conspiracy.  237 

tress  of  the  establishment,  were  enjoying  a  com- 
fortable sleep.  A  roar  from  one  of  the  youngsters 
served  to  awake  the  aged  couple.  Another  young 
fellow  put  his  head  close  to  that  of  his  sire.  I  am 
of  the  opinion  from  what  followed  that  the  young 
chap  told  the  old  folks  of  something  wonderful  to 
be  seen  atjihe  other  end  of  the  den. 

The  old  lion  arose  and  slowly  led  the  way.  Close 
by  his  heels  followed  the  old  lioness.  Next  in  order 
came  the  rest  of  the  family.  They  soon  arrived  in 
sight  of  the  strange  visitor.  The  leader  paused 
for  a  moment,  but  made  up  his  mind  that  there 
was  nothing  to  fear.  Daniel  reached  out  his  hand 
and  spoke.  So  with  eyes  half  closed  the  old  lion 
slowly  came  up  to  the  prophet  and  fondly  licked 
his  hand.  After  having  conquered  his  embarrass- 
ment he  uttered  a  low  growl  and  looked  toward  the 
rest  of  the  company  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Come  this 
way ;  don't  be  afraid,  the  gentleman  will  not  hurt 
you."  They  slowly  and  silently  gathered  around 
the  man  of  God,  and  each  one  appeared  to  be  par- 
ticularly pleased  to  be  permitted  in  some  way  to 
come  in  contact  with  his  person.  And  when  the 
darkness  of  night  gathered  around  them  the  old 
lion  answered  for  his  soft  pillow,  the  old  lioness  lay 
at  his  feet,  the  young  lions  stretched  themselves  on 
either  side  to  keep  him  warm,  and  soon  the  prophet 
of  Jehovah  was  fast  asleep. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  king  ordered  his 
chariot,  and  with  a  number  of  his  lords  he  was  soon 
on  his  way  toward  the  den  of  lions.  He  also  sent 
word  for  Daniel's  accusers  to  be  present.  The  royal 


238  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

chariot,  as  it  moved  through  the  principal  thorough- 
fares of  the  metropolis,  attracted  much  notice.  Its 
destination  was  soon  understood.  And  as  there  was 
a  faint  hope  in  the  minds  of  thousands  that  the  God 
of  Daniel  would  interpose  they  were  early  at  the 
den. 

The  monarch  in  trembling  accents  ordered  the 
heavy  door  to  be  opened.  This  was  quickly  done. 
Then  in  a  tone  of  lamentation  he  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  "O  Daniel,  servant  of  the  Most  High,  is 
thy  God  whom  thou  servest  able  to  deliver  thee 
from  the  lions?  " 

O,  the  breathless  silence  which  followed  !  A  thou- 
sand hearts  trembled  with  deep  emotion.  But  pres- 
ently a  voice  as  clear  as  a  lute  and  as  sweet  as  an 
angel's  harp  ascended  from  the  depth  and  fell  upon 
the  ears  of  the  throng  : 

"  O — king — live — forever!  " 

It  was  enough  !  Gladsome  shouts  broke  forth  from 
a  thousand  tongues.  The  sorrow  was  turned  to  joy, 
and  the  name  of  the  God  of  Daniel  was  greatly 
praised. 

In  a  few  moments  the  Hebrew  sage  stood  again 
before  the  rejoicing  throng. 

An  aged  man  was  seen  at  this  moment  urging  his 
way  through  the  crowd  as  if  endeavoring  to  find 
admittance  into  the  presence  of  the  king.  His  ven- 
erable appearance  and  pleasant  countenance  served 
to  make  him  room.  The  throng  parted,  and  soon 
he  was  by  the  side  of  Daniel,  who  stood  near  the 
king. 

"  This  is  my  good  friend  Apgomer,  O  king,"  said 


The  Conspiracy.  239 

Daniel,  "  one  of  the  companions  of  my  early  days. 
He  hath  words  to  communicate  to  the  king  in  the 
presence  of  this  throng,  that  will  give  thee  to  under- 
stand clearly  that  this  law  was  prepared  on  purpose 
to  ensnare  thy  servant." 

"  Let  Fragon  and  Ingron,  with  the  four  princes, 
stand  in  this  direction  !  "  said  the  king,  with  an  an- 
gry expression  of  countenance. 

The  conspirators  with  pale  faces  obeyed. 

"Now,  Daniel,"  said  the  king,  "thy  friend  may 
give  his  testimony  in  a  clear  and  loud  voice." 

"  O  king,  live  forever!"  began  Apgomer.  "  These 
six  men  who  now  stand  before  thee  are  wicked  and 
deceitful.  With  lying  words  did  they  goto  the  king. 
I  listened  to  their  midnight  plotting.  On  the  night 
of  the  fourth  day  of  the  eighth  month,  at  the  castle 
garden,  these  men  did  meet.  I  stood  behind  their 
bower.  Their  words  of  malice  fell  on  my  ears. 
There  the  law  was  first  spoken  of,  and  for  the  very 
purpose  of  destroying  the  first  president." 

"Believe  not  this  man,  O  king !"  said  the  pale 
and  trembling  Fragon.  "  He  prepareth  lying  words 
before  thee !" 

At  this  moment  a  young  man  whose  countenance 
denoted  passion  rushed  to  the  side  of  Apgomer, 
and  without  an  apology  began  : 

"  Let  not  Apgomer  be  called  a  liar !  As  well  may 
the  gods  lie  !  Thy  servant,  O  king,  is  the  keeper  of 
the  garden.  Apgomer  on  that  night  was  an  inmate 
of  my  house,  which  house  is  within  the  garden- 
walls.  Those  six  men  at  a  late  hour  demanded 
admission.  Not  knowing  who  they  were  I  ordered 


240  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

them  away.  They  gave  me  to  understand  that  I 
stood  in  the  presence  of  the  two  presidents  and  four 
princes.  They  were  admitted  and  did  not  leave 
until  after  midnight.  I  have  no  knowledge  of  their 
errand.  But  be  assured,  O  king,  that  Apgomer 
never  uttered  a  falsehood  !" 

"It  is  enough!  It  is  enough!"  cried  the  king. 
"  Seize  the  guilty  wretches  !  Let  the  cowardly  liars 
meet  the  doom  they  had  prepared  for  my  servant 
Daniel !  Up,  and  throw  them  to  the  lions!" 

No  sooner  were  the  words  spoken  than  a  score  of 
willing  hands  seized  the  trembling  forms  of  the 
conspirators,  and  amid  the  curses  of  an  indignant 
throng  they  were  thrown  into  the  depth  of  the  den, 
to  meet  a  far  different  fate  from  that  of  the  man  of 
God. 

Daniel  was  taken  into  the  royal  chariot,  seated  by 
the  side  of  the  sovereign,  and  the  grand  train  moved 
forward  amid  the  triumphant  shouts  of  delighted 
thousands. 


Sunny  Memories  of  Conference  Chums.       241 


SUNNY  MEMORIES  OF  CONFERENCE  CHUMS, 


CHAPTER  I. 
WE  DWELL  TOGETHER  IN  UNITY. 

IT  was  in  the  summer  of  185 — .  The  Conference 
met  at  one  of  our  flourishing  villages  in  northern 
New  York.  I  always  looked  forward  to  these  sea- 
sons with  pleasant  and  even  excitable  anticipations 
I  was  then,  if  not  now,  a  one-horse  preacher  serving 
a  one-horse  charge.  But  wait  a  moment,  dear  reader. 
Before  we  proceed  an  inch  further  permit  me  to 
explain  what  I  mean  by  the  term  one-horse.  If  I 
don't  I  fear  that  you  will  form  a  wrong  opinion 
as  to  the  nature  of  that  "  charge,"  and  also  in  re- 
gard to  the  value  I  now  place  upon  my  then  preach- 
ing abilities.  I  do  not  use  the  term  in  its  slang 
meaning;  and  if  you  thought  that  I  intended  to 
speak  lightly  either  of  my  own  talents  or  the 
good  people  I  then  served  you  were  grandly  mis- 
taken. I  simply  meant  that  at  that  time,  and,  in- 
deed, at  almost  all  other  times,  I  served  charges 
that  had  a  number  of  preaching  appointments,  and 
were  of  an  importance  that  demanded,  in  addition 
to  the  regular  minister  sent  from  Conference,  an 

"assistant"  in  the  shape  of  an  itinerant  horse.     Now 
16 


242  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

you  understand  why  I  called  myself  a  one-horse 
preacher  and  the  circuit  a  one-horse  charge.  I  am 
sorry  that  those  indispensable  assistants  were  not 
always  provided  for  by  the  brethren  in  the  "  allow- 
ance ;"  but  I  am  happy  to  say  that  mine  were  never 
permitted  to  suffer.  I  could  easily  write  creditable 
memorials  of  these  faithful  helpers  which  would  be 
interesting  to  the  reader,  and  especially  to  my  fel- 
low one-horse  brethren.  But  I  must  pass  along.  If 
John  Wesley's  views  in  regard  to  certain  passages  in 
the  eighth  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  are 
correct,  then  in  the  resurrection  of  the  brutes  there 
will  be  seen  a  glorious  array  of  itinerant  Methodist 
horses  anointed  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above 
their  fellows,  while  their  joyful  neighing  shall  echo 
on  the  sides  of  celestial  mountains. 

Yes,  I  know  I  am  moving  rather  slowly,  as  far  as 
the  story  is  concerned.  It  is  a  way  we  get  into,  and 
it  is  almost  impossible  for  us  ministers  to  break 
loose  from  our  old  ways.  This  shows  the  great  im- 
portance of  forming  good  and  correct  habits  while 
we  are  young.  But  I  am  gliding  slowly  and  im-  ' 
perceptibly  into  my  subject. 

On  arriving  at  the  seat  of  the  Conference  I  was 
directed  by  the  preacher  in  charge  to  the  residence 
of  Mr.  W.,  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  village, 
where,  as  he  said,  I  would  find  a  number  of  con- 
genial spirits.  It  so  proved.  I  was  most  cordially 
received  by  the  family,  and  to  my  great  joy  I  found 
that  I  was  to  share  the  society  of  four  other  minis- 
ters whom  I  greatly  admired  and  loved.  We  had 
often  met  before,  and  soon  our  hearts  were  knit 


Sunny  Memories  of  Conference  C/iuins.       243 

together  in  sweet  Christian  fellowship.  I  shall 
always  look  back  to  those  few  days  in  their  social 
relation  as  forming  one  of  the  happiest  periods  in 
my  earthly  pilgrimage ;  and  I  am  very  certain  that 
this  is  the  experience  of  those  four  brethren,  for  we 
have  often  spoken  of  it  in  our  subsequent  meet- 
ings;  and  many  a  good,  hearty,  healthy  Methodist 
laugh  we  have  had  over  the  remembrance  of  that 
most  delightful  week.  Up  stairs,  aside  from  several 
commodious  lodging-rooms,  we  had  a  large  sitting- 
room  richly  furnished,  where  we  could  meet  at  any 
time  to  enjoy  each  other's  society.  Here  we  would 
often  discuss  points  of  interest  connected  with  the 
Conference ;  but  our  greatest  enjoyment  flowed 
from  the  relating  of  incidents  connected  with  our 
itinerant  lives.  These  were  numerous,  and  all  of 
them  worthy  to  be  preserved  and  remembered.  I 
have  a  few  of  them,  and  these  were  taken  down  at 
the  time,  or  soon  after,  for  the  purpose,  I  presume,  of 
preparing  them,  for  the  press  ;  but  they  were  lost  for 
years,  and  the  other  day,  in  looking  over  a  pile  of 
old  manuscript,  I  came  across  the  following,  which 
will  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  our  mutual  enter- 
tainnrent.  I  see  they  are  numbered,  and  bear  such 
headings  as  at  that  time  impressed  my  mind.  Num- 
ber i  is  headed, 

"  How  I  HAPPENED  TO  GET  INTO  A  '  FIRST-CLASS 
STATION."' 

"  I.  don't  say,  mind  you,"  said  Brother  L.,  "but 
that  as  a  rule  you  will  find  '  first-class  preachers'  on 
'  first-class  stations,'  but  there  are  very  many  excep- 


244  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

tions,  and  it  is  not  always  safe  to  judge  of  a  minis- 
ter's real  strength  by  the  appointments  he  fills. 
These  things  in  multitudes  of  instances  have  turned 
upon  a  mere  accident.  In  the  great  mind  of  Deity 
it  may  not  bear  that  construction,  but  as  things  go 
among  us  that  is  just  the  word.  Here  /am.  It  is 
well  known  to  you  that  for  fourteen  years  I  con- 
tinually served  charges  that  were  any  thing  but 
popular,  and  that  for  the  last  ten  years  I  have 
been  sent  to  some  of  the  strongest  stations  in  the 
Conference.  Do  you  suppose  from  this  that  it  took 
place  from  any  improvement  or  change  in  me  ? 
Nothing  of  the  kind.  I  tell  you  again,  in  my  case 
it  was  purely  accidental.  You  may  object  to  my 
using  that  word.  I  don't  quite  like  it  myself,  and 
yet  it  is  as  good  as  any  I  can  think  of  just  now.  I 
don't  know  that  I  can  better  explain  this  than  by 
calling  your  attention  to  my  own  history  and  ex- 
perience. 

"  I  had  served  two  years  at  Logtown,  to  the  fair 
satisfaction  of  the  brethren  and  the  members  of  my 
congregation,  and  had  gone  to  Conference  under 
the  tearful  benediction  of  many  dear  friends.  I 
cheerfully  looked  forward  for  another  charge  of 
moderate  pretensions.  I  had  given  up  all  idea  of 
ever  serving  a  good  station,  because  I  had  for  so 
many  years  served  inferior  charges,  and  I  knew  that 
no  first-class  appointment  would  be  likely  to  ask 
for  a  person  who  had  always  traveled  circuits. 
When  they  come  to  a  deadlock  in  the  cabinet,  you 
know,  the  Bishop  comes  to  the  rescue,  settles  the 
point,  and  says  to  the  astonished  presiding  elders, 


Sunny  Memories  of  Conference  C/tuins.       245 

'What  I  have  written,  I  have  written.'  So  it  was 
at  this  time.  Until  about  one  hour  before  the  meet- 
ing of  the  last  session  of  the  Conference  my  name 
had  stood  for  Pacific  Charge,  with  which  I  was  well 
satisfied.  While  the  Bishop  and  the  elders  were 
just  finishing  up,  a  line  was  received  from  B Sta- 
tion, signed  by  a  brother  whose  will  it  was  not 
healthy  to  oppose,  saying  that  Brother  F.  must  not 

be  sent  to   B ,  that  he  could    not  be  received, 

and  that  the  thing  was  exceedingly  unfortunate. 
What  was  to  be  done?  '  Brethren,' said  the  Bishop, 
'  I  will  make  short  work  of  this.  Brother  L.  will 

go  to  B ,  and   Brother  F.  will    go    to    Pacific.' 

'Bishop!'     cried    the     presiding    elder    in    whose 

district  was  B .  (so  I  was  informed), '  that  will  not 

answer!  B is  a  "  first-class  station."     Brother 

L.  is  a  good  man  and  a  fair  preacher,  but  he  is  not. 

of  that  class  that  will   answer  for   B .'     '  Time 

will  show,'  answered  the  Bishop  as  he  closed  his 
portfolio  and  started  for  the  Conference-room. 
There  were  many  astonished  countenances  when 

my  name  was  read  out  for  B ;  and  no  one  was 

more  astonished  than  myself. 

"  With  much  fear  and  trembling,  after  having  been 
in  the  Conference  for  fourteen  years,  I  started  for 
my  first  station,  and  that  one  of  the  best.  Con- 
trary to  my  expectations,  the  brethren  gave  me  a 
cordial  welcome.  On  my  first  Sabbath  I  had  great 
liberty,  and  at  once  I  found  favor  in  the  sight  of 
the  people.  In  addition  to  a  liberal  salary  they 
gave  me  a  magnificent  donation,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  year  they  unitedly  asked  for  my  return.  I 


246  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

did  return,  and  my  second  year  was  also  a  success. 
From  that  time  to  this  I  have  filled  excellent 
stations,  and  you  would  be  astonished  to  see  the 
invitations  I  have  had  from  official  members  of 
'  first-class  appointments/  brethren  who  would 
have  scorned  the  idea  a  few  years  ago.  But  am  I  a 
better  preacher  than  I  was  when  I  served  Logtown, 
Smoky  Hollow,  Hard  Scrabble,  Snake  Hill,  and 
Pumpkinville?  Of  course  not.  I  never  hear  the 
term  '  first-class  station'  without  smiling,  and  I 
invariably  think  of  the  simple  accident  that  sent 
your  unworthy  brother  to  be  a  pastor  of  such  a 
church." 

Brother  L.,  being  the  only  "first-class  station" 
preacher  in  the  company,  the  rest  of  us  being  "  one- 
horse,"  and  naturally  cherishing — well — a  pretty  fair 
opinion  of  our  respective  abilities,  we  were  greatly 
pleased  with  his  remarks,  knowing  that  in  him  we 
had  a  friend  whose  sympathy  and  fellow-feeling  we 
might  safely  depend  upon. 

Number  2  is  headed, 

"JACK   AND   POPPET." 

"  I  am  comparatively  young  among  you  Ameri- 
cans," said  Brother  M.,  who  was  a  genial  Welshman. 
"  In  my  own  experience  in  this  country  there  have 
been  no  incidents  that  would  add  any  interest  to 
this  occasion,  and  so  you  will  please  excuse  me." 

"  No  excuse,  Brother  M.,"said  Brother  L.  "Give 
us  something  from  Wales,  of  any  sort  that  you  may 
deem  best  ;"  and  in  this  he  was  joined  by  the 
others. 


Suiiny  Memories  of  Conference  Chums.       247 

"Well,"  said  Brother  M.,  "I  will  give  you  a 
specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  the  late  Rev.  Mr. 
Richard  of  Abergwaen  used  to  administer  reproof, 
when  needed,  at  church  meetings.  He  always  made 
use  of  figures,  and  his  favorite  was  the  horse. 

"  At  one  time  a  certain  society  was  much  grieved 
with  one  of  its  official  members,  who.  insisted  on 
having  his  own  way  in  regard  to  every  church 
measure,  and  who,  if  it  was  not  granted,  would 
show  bad  temper  and  utterly  refuse  to  co-operate 
with  his  brethren.  In  every  thing  he  would  be  a 
leader  or  nothing.  He  was  a  man  of  ability  and 
means,  and  when  all  would  submit  to  his  dictation 
he  would  be  liberal.  But  he  was  so  selfish  and  ob- 
stinate that  it  was  very  hard  to  get  along  with  him. 
Mr.  Richard  was  aware  of  this,  and  at  one  of  their 
church  meetings,  when  this  obstinate  man  was  pres- 
ent, among  other  remarks  he  brought  in  his  favor- 
ite figure  in  this  fashion  : 

" '  Yes,  Jack  is  a  good  horse,  but  not  as  good  as 
Poppet.  Poppet  is  easily  managed  and  willing  to 
work  at  any  time  and  at  any  place.  Jack  is  a  strong, 
powerful  horse ;  but  sometimes  he  is  obstinate  and 
ugly,  and  often  acts  the  worst  when  he  is  most 
needed.  Jack  can  draw  splendidly,  you  understand, 
but  he  must  have  his  own  way  or  he  will  not  draw 
a  pound.  Jack  must  be  the  leader  or  nothing.  Put 
him  between  the  thills,  or  in  the  middle,  and  he  will 
not  move  an  inch.  Coaxing  and  threatening  will 
be  useless.  But  let  him  be  the  foremost  horse,  and 
he  will  show  wonderful  energy.  Sometimes  if  he 
doesn't  get  his  own  way  he  will  fall  into  a  violent  fit 


248  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

of  kicking,  to  the  great  danger  of  all  who  are  near 
him.  You  will  understand  that  Jack  in  many  re- 
spects is  a  good  horse,  but  he  has  these  tricks.  If 
these  were  taken  out  of  him  he  would  be  a  valuable 
beast,  but  it  is  hard  to  take  a  trick  out  of  an  old  horse. 
He  is  not  like  Poppet.  Poppet  is  ever  willing  and 
ready.  He  is  not  as  strong  as  Jack,  but  is  perfectly 
reliable.  He  will  work  faithfully  at  all  times  and 
in  any  sphere.  You  may  put  him  in  the  shaft,  or 
in  the  middle,  or  foremost,  and  he  will  pull  steadily. 
You  may  put  sacks  of  grain  on  his  back  to  carry  to 
the  mill,  and  he  will  move  along  most  willingly. 
Two  or  three  of  the  children  may  get  on  his  back  at 
once,  and  with  the  greatest  pleasure  he  will  take 
them  to  school.  Ah,  every  body  admires  Poppet  ! 
As  for  Jack,  although  a  good  horse  in  his  way,  he 
is  not  to  be  trusted.  It  is  not  best  to  venture 
to  put  a  sack  on  his  back  to  go  to  mill,  nor  the  chil- 
dren to  carry  to  school.  It  would  be  a  very  danger- 
ous experiment.  Better  far  to  depend  on  Poppet.' 

"  And  in  this  way,  without  referring  to  names 
nor  directly  to  individuals,  Mr.  Richard  would  ad- 
minister reproof  that  almost  always  produced  a 
favorable  effect.  I  have  already  found  that  in 
America,  as  well  as  Wales,  we  have  some  Jacks  ;  but, 
thank  Heaven,  compared  with  our  noble  Poppets 
they  are  very  few." 

Number  3  is  headed, 

"AN  AFFECTING  INCIDENT." 

"Yes,"  said  Brother  S.,  with  that  deep  solemnity 
which  was  his  on  peculiar  occasions,  "We  are  to 


Sunny  Memories  of  Conference  C/tuins.       249 

'weep  with  those  that  weep.'  Every  Methodist 
minister  has  mingled  in  scenes  of  bereavement,  to 
administer  comfort  to  the  disconsolate.  It  was  in 
the  early  part  of  my  ministry,  and  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  conference  year  on  a  new  charge.  On 
a  certain  Tuesday,  after  a  hard  morning's  study,  I 
thought  I  would  devote  a  part  of  the  afternoon  to 
visiting  my  parishioners  and  forming  their  acquaint- 
ance. In  my  congregation  on  the  Sabbath 
previous  I  had  noticed  a  lady  in  dark  habiliments 
which  I  naturally  took  as  an  evidence  of  bereave- 
ment, especially  as  the  expression  of  her  counte- 
nance suggested  deep  inward  sorrow.  I  first  called 
at  the  house  of  Brother  Stebbins,  who  was  one  of 
my  stewards.  Sister  Stebbins  received  me  cor- 
dially. She  was  ready  and  fluent  in  her  conversa- 
tion, and  mingled  her  sentences  with  such  a  degree 
of  wit  and  pleasantry  as  to  make  me  feel  perfectly 
at  home.  If  she  had  a  fault  at  all  it  was  an  over- 
readiness  to  indulge  too  freely  in  hilarity. 

"  '  Sister  Stebbins/  I  said,  '  I  noticed  in  the  con- 
gregation on  the  Sabbath,  in  the  third  seat  from 
the  altar,  in  the  middle  pews,  a  lady  in  black.  She 
seemed  to  be  in  deep  grief.  Who  was  she,  and 
where  does  she  live?' 

"  '  O,'  answered  Sister  Stebbins,  '  that  "was  Sister 
Thomas.  She  lives  on  this  street,  the  third  house 
below  ;  on  this  side.' 

"  '  I  should  judge  from  her  sorrowful  appearance,' 
said  I, '  that  she  has  lately  passed  through  scenes  x>f 
bereavement.' 

"  I  was  pained  at  her  reply,  which  seemed  to  me 


250  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

unsympathetic  and  trifling;  and  so,  with  as  much 
earnestness  in  my  manner  as  would  become  a 
stranger,  I  kindly  replied  : 

"  '  When  you  meet  with  a  like  bereavement  you 
will  judge  poor  Sister  Thomas  with  more  tender- 
ness.' 

"  Sister  S.  simply  answered,  '  Pardon  me,  Brother 
S.,  but  I  will  assure  you  I  am  not  a  hard-hearted 
woman  ;'  and  the  subject  was  dropped. 

"  I  parted  with  Sister  S.  and  slowly  walked  toward 
the  mansion  of  Sister  Thomas.  She  answered  my 
call  in  person,  remarking, 

"  '  Brother  S.,  I  am  glad  to  see  you.  I  knew  you 
would  call.  My  mind  was  just  resting  on  some  con- 
solatory passages  in  your  Sabbath  sermon.' 

"  '  I  am  thankful,'  said  I,  '  that  any  thing  in  my 
humble  discourse  has  served  to  cheer  you  in  the  day 
of  adversity.' 

"'  Thank  you,'  she  replied,  in  a  tremulous  voice ; 
'of  course  you  have  heard  of  it.  Some  think  I  go 
too  far ;  but  he  was  the  idol  of  my  heart.  If  not 
with  me  in  the  street  he  was  the  first  to  welcome 
me  home.  I  miss  him  at  morning,  noon,  and 
night.' 

"  '  And  how  old  was  this  dear  object  of  your  af- 
fection ?'  I  asked. 

" '  He  had  just  completed  his  fifth  year,'  was  the 
reply. 

" '  And  what  was  the  nature  of  his  sickness  ?'  I 
inquired,  brushing  away  a  tear. 

"  '  At  first  it  was  a  cold,'  she  said,  '  but  it  ended 
in  a  fever.  He  knew  me  to  the  very  last.  I  was 


Sunny  Memories  of  Conference  Cliums,       251 

not  aware  that  he  was  so  near  going.  I  knelt  by 
his  little  bed,  but  he  heeded  me  not.  '  Fido  !'  said 
I,  ''dear  Fido,  don't  you  know  me?'  He  opened 
his  eyes,  gently  wagged  his  tail  and  died"!' 

"  Fortunately  my  hat  was  within  easy  reach  and 
the  door  was  not  closed.  The  next  moment  the 
new  parson  was  found  making  rapid  strides  toward 
the  parsonage,  and  I  know  that  I  heard  the  voice 
of  Sister  Stebbins  in  laughter  as  I  passed  her  door. 
From  that  day  I  have  had  but  little  taste  for  dog- 
matic  theology." 

Of  course  Brother  S.  preserved  a  grave  counte- 
nance throughout,  and  even  at  the  close,  when  the 
rest  of  us  roared,  he  looked  more  solemn  than  ever. 
If  we  thought  that  he  had  given  us  an  overdrawn 
picture  we  really  pardoned  him,  as  he  had  given 
so  telling  a  burlesque  on  a  weak  form  of  sentimen- 
tality. 

Number  4  is  headed, 

THE  SOOTHING  EFFECTS  OF   BREAD  AND  MILK 
POULTICE. 

"You  see,"  said  Brother  J.,  "in those  days  I  was 
bashful  and  modest.  Well,  you  may  laugh  as  much 
as  you  please.  I  suppose  you  think  that  those  are 
rather  doubtful  terms  when  applied  to  me,  but  it  is 
true.  Perhaps  you  did  not  know  me  then.  Years 
have  worked  a  great  change.  Since  that  time  I 
have  mingled  much  in  society,  and  I  am  not  as  I 
used  to  be.  I  tell  you  again,  brethren,  without  the 
least  joking,  that  there  was  a  time  when  I  was  both 
bashful  and  modest. 


252  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"It  was  at  a  ministerial  association  in  O .  I 

was  sent  to  '  chum  it'  with  my. dear  Brother  R.,  at 
a  certain  house  not  far  from  the  church.  We  took 
an  early  s*upper,  and  having  in  another  place  eaten 
a  late  dinner  I  scarcely  took  anything  for  tea.  That 
evening  I  preached,  there  were  lengthy  exercises 
after  the  sermon,  and  the  meeting  closed  at  a  late 
hour.  In  company  with  my  good  Brother  R.  I 
reached  my  lodging-place  under  the  unmistakable 
impression  that  I  was  very  hungry.  I  hoped  that 
the  good  lady  of  the  house  would  have  asked, 
'  Brother  J.,  you  have  been  laboring  hard,  wouldn't 
you  like  a  bit  of  something  to  eat  ?'  She  certainly 
ought  to  have  asked  me,  and  my  brief  answer  was 
all  ready.  But  she  didn't,  and  my  hunger  was 
momentarily  growing  more  alarming.  You  see,  at 
home  I  had  been  in  the  habit  of  having  milk  every 
night.  '  Bad  habit?'  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it. 
I  have  used  it — well,  from  a  very  early  period,  and 
it  agrees  with  me  splendidly.  But  I  am  digressing. 
At  that  moment  things  looked  dark,  and  a  night  of 
keen  hunger  stared  me  in  the  face.  '  Why  didn't  I 
ask  ?'  There  !  now  comes  in  the  proof  of  my  bash- 
fulness.  Ask  ?  No,  indeed,  and  I  fully  made  up 
my  mind  to  suffer. 

'"Brother  J.,' asked  Brother  R.,  'What  is  the 
matter  with  you?' 

"' O,  nothing  serious,'  I  replied,  'I  am  a  little 
tired.  The  meeting,  you  know,  was  very  lengthy.' 
And  I  looked  toward  my  hostess,  hoping  that  this 
would  fetch  her;  but  it  didn't. 

"  By  the  way,  on  the  week  previous  Brother  R. 


Sunny  Memories  of  Conference  Chums.       253 

had  met  with  an  accident  by  which  his  leg  below 
the  knee  was  badly  bruised,  and  at  this  time  he  was 
quite  lame  and  complained  of  pain. 

"  'And  what  do  you  do  for  it,  Brother  R  ?'  asked 
the  lady. 

"  '  At  night  I  poultice  it  thoroughly  with  bread 
and  milk,'  answered  Brother  R.,  'and  if  it  will  not 
trouble  you  too  much  I  will  ask  you  to  make  me 
some,  and  I  will  put  it  on  when  we  get  up  stairs.' 

"'  Don't  talk  about  trouble,'  answered  the  little 
woman,  jumping  up,  '  I  will  have  it  ready  in  a  little 
while.' 

"  There,  boys  !  Aye,  then  did  I  see  that  my  re- 
demption was  drawing  nigh.  I  could  actually  feel 
the  aspect  of  my  countenance  changing,  while  men- 
tally I  exultingly  cried,  '  I  am  saved  !  I  am  saved  !' 

"'In  a  case  like  this,'  said  Brother  R.,  'bread 
and  milk  poultice  is  capital.' 

"'There  can  be  nothing  better,'  said  I  in  an  ele- 
vated tone,  '  if  it  is  only  applied  in  sufficient  quan- 
tity.' 

"  '  That's  so,'  said  the  lady,  and  I  will  make  a 
good  lot.' 

"  And  so  she  did,  for  I  keenly  watched  the  quan- 
tity as  well  as  the  quality.  It  was  all  right — nice 
white  bread,  pure  milk,  and  a  clean  shining  tin 
basin,  and,  better  than  all,  '  a  good  lot'  of  it. 

"'Will  you  need  any  assistance,  Brother  R?' 
asked  the  lady. 

"  '  Brother  J.  will  lend  a  helping  hand  when  we  get 
up  stairs,'  was  the  answer. 

"  'With  the  greatest  pleasure,'  I  replied. 


254  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  After  prayers  we  went  to  our  chamber,  Brother 
R.  leading  the  way,  bearing  in  his  hand  the  sover- 
eign remedy,  while  in  eager  expectation  I  followed 
on.  When  I  revealed  to  my  good  friend  the  exact 
situation,  and  the  fortunate  way  of  escape,  he  fell 
into  a  fit  of  laughter.  Well,  he  treated  me  with  the 
utmost  generosity.  The  poultice  was  divided  on 
the  most  equitable  terms.  Our  slumber  was  tranquil 
and  peaceful.  Brother  R.  kept  the  secret  at  least 

until  after  we  left  O .     Since  that  event  I  have 

increased  faith  in  the  soothing  effects  of  bread  and 
milk  poultice." 

Those  dear  chums  are  yet  in  the  work  doing 
vigorous  service  for  the  Master.  A  little  humorous 
indulgence  now  and  then  when  released  from  the 
severity  of  their  labors  does  not  in  the  least  injure 
their  spirituality.  Laughter  is  a  gift  from  the  Lord. 
It  may  be  abused,  I  know,  like  many  other  blessings; 
but  in  thousands  of  instances  it  is  a  healing  balm 
for  both  body  and  mind.  I  know  that  at  Conference 
as  well  as  other  places  we  are  to  watch  over  our 
spirits  and  retain,  yea,  increase  our  devotional  feel- 
ings. But  in  order  to  do  this  must  every  thing  in 
the  shape  of  social  mirth  be  banished  ?  I  do  not 
thus  understand  Christianity  nor  the  laws  of  our 
being.  Let  all  act  freely,  in  harmony  with  the  dis- 
position and  temperament  which  God  has  given 
them,  subject  to  the  wholesome  regulations  of  our 
holy  Christianity.  I  will  not  find  fault  with  my 
serious  brother  who  hardly  ever  smiles.  If  that  is 
the  result  of  his  natural  disposition  I  suppose  he 


Sunny  Memories  of  Conference  Chums.       255 

cannot  help  it.  But  I  trust  that  he  will  have  the 
good  sense  to  know  that  his  perpetual  solemnity  is 
no  proof  that  he  better  answers  the  end  of  his  crea- 
tion than  does  his  brother  who  obeys  the  prompt- 
ings of  his  more  jubilant  nature  and  indulges  in  a 
good,  hearty  laugh.  Be  it  remembered  that  the 
wisest  of  men  has  said,  "  There  is  a  time  to  laugh 
and  a  time  to  weep."  A  Christian  minister,  I  trust, 
will  easily  understand  this,  and  act  accordingly. 
He  will  not  be  very  apt  to  weep  at  a  Fourth  of  July 
celebration  or  laugh  at  a  funeral. 


256  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 


"I  TOOK  YOU  WITH  GUILE, 


I  VENTURE  to  say  that,  in  this  year  of  grace, 
1890,  no  portion  of  our  world  under  the  hal- 
lowed influence  of  our  holy  Christianity  presents  a 
more  intelligent  class  of  people,  touching  the  funda- 
mental doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  than  does  that  small 
section  of  the  British  Isle  known  as  the  Principality 
of  Wales.  It  is  readily  admitted  that,  as  far  as 
knowledge  in  the  arts  and  sciences  is  concerned, 
they  are  far  behind  their  English  neighbors  ;  but 
that  in  theology  and  in  deep  attachment  for  relig- 
ious worship  they  excel.  This  state  of  things, 
however,  is  comparatively  of  a  recent  date.  One 
hundred  and  twenty  years  ago  gross  darkness  cov- 
ered the  people,  and  the  masses  in  Wales  were  ex- 
ceedingly ignorant  touching  the  most  common 
truths  of  the  Christian  religion.  It  is  true  that  on 
Sabbath  morning  they  had  a  brief  service  in  the 
parish  church,  often  conducted  by  unregenerated 
and  immoral  curates.  Few  attended  these  services, 
and  less  took  any  interest  in  them.  The  Lord's 
day  was  given  to  ungodly  diversions,  drinking, 
carousing,  and  often  ending  in  fighting. 

The  wonderful  awakening  under  the  preaching  of 


"/  Took   You  with  Guile."  257 

Whitefield  reached  Wales,  and  in  many  localities 
the  people  by  the  hundreds,  with  tears  of  penitence, 
turned  to  the  Lord.  Several  men  of  talent,  clergy- 
men of  the  Established  Church,  who  had  mourned 
for  years  over  the  desolation  of  Zion,  joined  in  the 
movement,  and  finally,  by  the  force  of  circum- 
stances, identified  themselves  with  the  newly-formed 
Whitefield  Methodist  societies,  and  earnestly  la- 
bored in  the  face  of  the  most  bitter  persecution. 

At  that  early  day  there  arose  from  among  the 
converts  many  men  possessing  strong  natural  tal- 
ents, and,  in  the  absence  of  regular  clergymen,  they 
were  commissioned  by  the  churches  to  go  forth  as 
lay  preachers  to  call  sinners  to  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come. 

Among  these  exhorters,  whose  hearts  burned  with 
love  to  God  and  with  intense  desire  for  the  salvation 
of  their  fellow-men,  was  one  Thomas  Hughes.  He 
had  been  a  rough,  swearing,  drinking  man.  His 
education  was  limited,  but  he  had  a  strong  mind,  a 
ready  command  of  language,  and  a  very  fair  knowl- 
edge of  the  Bible  and  its  doctrines.  His  conversion 
was  very  clear.  The  thorough  change  was  evident 
to  all,  and  his  unadorned  ministry  was  highly  ac- 
ceptable to  the  common  people. 

In  many  places  these  preachers,  lay  and  ordained, 
were  persecuted  most  violently.  Indeed,  there  were 
vicinities  where  they  could  not  stand  up  to  preach 
without  endangering  their  lives.  Such  a  spot  was 
Towyn  y  fferi,  on  the  shore,  between  Llandudno 
and  Conway,  in  North  Wales. 

For  a  long  time  Thomas  Hughes  had  felt  a  strong. 
17 


m 

258  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

spirit-drawing  toward  the  wicked  and  desperate  in- 
habitants of  this  place,  who  from  Sabbath  to  Sab- 
bath assembled  by  the  hundreds  on  the  shore  to 
engage  in  their  unholy  diversions.  He  had  never 
been  there,  but  their  daring  ungodliness  was  well 
known  far  and  near.  Hughes  had  a  dear  friend — a 
confidential  bosom  friend — by  the  name  of  Morris 
Jones.  They  were  often  together,  and  Jones  gen- 
erally accompanied  Hughes  to  his  appointments, 
and  often  assisted  in  the  preliminaries. 

"Morris,"  said  Hughes  one  day,  "for  weeks  I 
have  been  impressed  that  it  is  my  duty  to  preach 
Jesus  to  that  ungodly  throng  at  Towyn  y  fferi. 
They  are  rushing  toward  hell,  and  there  is  no  one 
to  plead  with  them." 

"  I  understand,"  said  Morris,  "  that  there  is  a 
gang  there  of  forty  roughs,  headed  by  a  fighting 
bully  by  the  name  of  Dick  Morgan,  that  are  pledged 
to  roughly  handle  any  preacher  that  will  dare  come 
among  them  and  open  his  mouth." 

"  Morris,"  was  the  answer,  "  let  us  take  them  with 
guile.  I  am  determined  to  visit  their  play-ground 
on  some  Sabbath  day,  and  that  soon,  if  God  wills, 
and  preach  to  them  '  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified.' 
I  have  matured  a  plan  in  my  own  mind  which  I 
think  will  succeed.  I  have  prayed  over  it,  and  I 
am  pretty  well  convinced  that,  by  God's  help,  we 
can  manage  those  roughs,  and  perhaps  save  them. 
Morris,  will  you  stand  by  me  ?" 

"That  I  will,  Tom,"  was  the  ready  answer. 
"  Proceed  in  your  own  way,  and  may  God  bless 
you  !" 


"  /  Took   You  wit h  Guile."  259 

Word  was  sent  to  Towyn  y  fferi  that  in  one  week 
from  the  following  Sabbath  there  would  be  preach- 
ing on  the  shore  play-ground,  but  no  mention  was 
made  of  the  preacher  or  where  he  would  hail  from. 
The  roughs  were  delighted  in  view  of  their  antici- 
pated sport,  and  promised  to  themselves  a  day  of 
rare  enjoyment. 

The  day  arrived  and  the  ground  was  covered  by 
hundreds.  There  were  many  among  them  who  had 
come  in  hopes  of  hearing  the  Gospel  preached. 
They  felt  no  ill-will  toward  any  preacher  that  de- 
sired to  make  the  people  better.  They  knew  that 
Towyn  bore  a  hard  name,  and  they  were  sorry  for 
it.  There  were  many  more  who,  although  wild 
and  ungodly,  would  not  molest  the  man  of  God. 
But  the  majority  were  in  sympathy  with  the  gang. 
They  did  not  intend  to  permit  any  dissenting  rant- 
ers to  interfere  with  their  Sunday  sports,  and  it 
gave  them  pleasure  to  know  that  the  expected 
preacher  would  be  roughly  handled. 

Our  two  friends,  Hughes  and  Jones,  were  early 
on  the  ground.  They  mingled  freely  with  the 
gang  and  laid  themselves  down  on  the  grass.  There 
was  nothing  in  their  exterior  that  in  the  least  re- 
sembled clergymen,  and  no  one  took  any  particular 
notice  of  them. 

Time  was  passing,  The  people  were  anxiously 
looking  for  the  appearance  of  the  preacher  and 
getting  somewhat  uneasy. 

After  further  waiting  Dick  Morgan  said  :  "  Boys, 
the  shouter  has  not  dared  to  show  his  sanctimonious 
Methodist  face.  His  courage  failed  him.  He  has 


260  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

escaped  a  good  shaking  and  a  nice  cold  salt  bath. 
But,  confound  the  fellow,  he  has  robbed  us  of  our 
expected  fun.  He  would  have  been  here  before  this 
time  if  he  was  coming.  So  let  us  begin  some  other 
sport." 

Here  Hughes  jumped  up  from  his  prostrate  po- 
sition and,  in  a  manner  quite  unclerical,  said: 

"  Well,  my  lads,  as  Morgan  has  said,  there  is  no 
sign  of  a  clergyman.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  the  fel- 
low heard  we  were  going  to  give  him  a  rough  one. 
But  don't  let  us  be  cheated  out  of  preaching.  I 
have  come  a  long  distance.  Let  one  of  you  stand 
on  that  stone  and  give  us  a  preach !  Why  not  ? 
[Great  laughter.]  Let  one  of  us  occupy  the  pulpit, 
and  the  rest  will  sing.  I  tell  you,  lads,  it  will  be  a 
grand  play,  especially  on  Sunday." 

"  Bravo  !  "  cried  the  bully,  with  an  oath.  "  Three 
cheers  for  the  stranger  !  [Given  with  a  will.]  Ha, 
ha !  Here  is  fun  after  all.  Step  on  that  stone  and 
fire  away,  stranger !  " 

"  I  ought  to  have  a  book,"  said  Hughes. 

"  Here  is  a  book  for  you,"  said  Morris  Jones,  "  if 
you  only  promise  to  preach  for  us." 

"  Well,"  said  Hughes,  "  if  you  will  only  be  civil 
I'll  try.  Don't  you  laugh  at  me  if  I  fail." 

"  I'll  make  them  civil,"  said  Morgan  ;  "  and  if 
any  one  laughs  at  you  or  disturbs  you  in  any  man- 
ner I'll  break  his  head  with  one  of  these  stones." 

Hughes  then  stood  on  the  stone  and  said  :  "  I 
believe  that  praying  comes  first,  does  it  not?" 

"Yes;  pray,"  said  Morgan,  "and  I  will  throw 
in  an  amen  now  and  then  to  make  it  lively. 


"/  Took   You  with  Guile.'1  261 

I  declare,  this  is  the  strangest  kind  of  performance 
I  ever  heard  of!  Somehow  it  doesn't  look  so  funny 
to  me  as  it  did  a  minute  ago.  But  hurry  up  and 
rush  it  through  !  Go  on,  stranger." 

"  Let  us  pray,"  said  Hughes,  with  a  countenance 
of  indescribable  solemnity.  The  prayer  welled  up 
from  the  depth  of  an  honest  heart  earnestly  longing 
for  the  salvation  of  those  around  him.  The  roughs 
listened  to  the  prayer  with  great  attention,  and  al- 
though, so  far,  they  thought  it  was  simply  an  imi- 
tation, they  felt  a  solemnity  creeping  over  them 
which  they  could  not  explain,  and  the  bully  did  not 
see  fit  to  produce  the  promised  amens.  The  prayer 
closed,  and  it  was  loudly  complimented  by  a  great 
many.  One  cried  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice  : 

"  I'll  bet  a  crown  there  is  not  a  parson  in  North 
Wales  that  can  beat  that  prayer! " 

Mr.  Hughes  was  just  about  to  announce  his  text, 
when  Morgan  cried  out,  "  Not  quite  so  fast,  stran- 
ger!  Singing  comes  next." 

"  O  yes,"  was  the  reply;  "  I  had  forgotten." 
He  then  gave  out  one  verse: 

"  Come,  Holy  Spirit,  heavenly  Dove, 
With  all  thy  quickening  powers." 

Morris  Jones  started  a  familiar  tune,  in  which  many 
united.  Mr.  Hughes  then  called  their  attention  to 
these  words  of  St.  Paul :  "  This  is  a  faithful  saying, 
and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus 
came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners  ;  of  whom  I  am 
chief."  He  first  gave  a  very  graphic  account  of  the 
apostle's  early  history,  how  he  gave  countenance 


262  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

to  the  killing  of  Stephen  and  took  charge  of  the. 
garments  of  those  who  stoned  him,  and  how  after 
this  he  became  a  bitter  persecutor  of  the  infant 
Church,  casting  men  and  women  into  prison.  Then 
he  spoke  of  his  wonderful  conversion  and  his  sub- 
sequent laborious  life  in  the  cause  of  God.  The 
preacher,  as  he  proceeded,  felt  an  unusual  degree 
of  inspiration.  He  gathered  spiritual  power  as  he 
went  on.  The  people  looked  upon  him  with  awe 
and  wonder  as,  with  a  tongue  of  fire,  he  spoke  of 
the  wonderful  change  produced  in  the  human  heart 
by  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Tears  began  to  flow  from 
the  eyes  of  many,  and  before  the  sermon  was  half 
through  the  audience  was  under  his  complete  control. 
When  it  was  perfectly  safe  he  gave  them  to  under- 
stand that  he  was,  indeed,  the  humble,  unworthy 
servant  of  Christ,  who  had  sent  his  appointment  to 
Towyn  y  fferi,  and  that  he  had  chosen  that  method 
in  order  to  get  a  quiet  hearing.  Before  closing  he 
said :  "  Three  years  ago  I  was  a  poor  miserable 
slave  of  the  devil,  a  wicked,  swearing,  drinking 
wretch,  fearing  not  God  nor  regarding  man.  What 
money  I  earned,  the  most  of  it  went  for  drink,  while 
my  wife  was  broken-hearted  and  my  children  in  rags. 
This  was  my  condition  when  a  most  powerful  re- 
vival of  religion  broke  out  in  our  village.  I  was 
persuaded  to  attend  the  meetings.  I  was  led  to 
see  myself  a  guilty  sinner  against  God.  I  fell  on 
my  knees  and  cried  to  God  for  mercy.  After  some 
days  of  weeping  under  a  deep  sense  of  guilt,  God 
saw  fit  to  pour  the  balm  of  his  love  into  my  wounded 
heart,  and  I  was  enabled  to  rejoice  in  hope  of  the 


" /  Took  You  with  Guile"  263 

glory  of  God.  I  was  received  into  the  Church,  and 
since  then,  my  friends,  I  have  tried  to  live  a  Chris- 
tian life.  I  became  a  sober,  industrious  man.  My 
wife  is  now  happy  and  cheerful  and  my  children  are 
well  dressed.  That  is  what  the  Gospel  has  done  for 
poor  Tom  Hughes,  and  I  am  very  anxious  for  oth- 
ers to  feel  its  saving  power.  I  thank  you  for  your 
candid  attention.  I  greatly  desire  the  salvation  of 
your  souls.  After  the  meeting  closes  you  may  treat 
me  as  you  deem  best.  If  Dick  Morgan  thinks  that 
I  deserve  a  shaking  and  a  cold  bath  I  will  try  to 
bear  the  ordeal  with  Christian  patience.  I  hope, 
however,  he  will  not  find  it  necessary.  Let  us  now 
pray." 

The  closing  prayer  was  wonderfully  affecting. 
The  speaker  pleaded  with  God  in  sentences  the 
most  pathetic,  while  scores  in  the  assembly  were 
strangely  moved. 

That  rough  gang  was  wonderfully  tamed.  The 
bully  was  the  first  one  to  give  the  preacher  the 
friendly  hand  after  he  came  down  from  his  stone 
pulpit.  With  a  moisture  in  his  eyes  he  asked  Mr. 
Hughes  to  come  again,  with  the  full  assurance  that 
he  would  receive  a  respectful  treatment.  He  went 
again  and  again.  A  powerful  revival  followed  his 
labors  and  a  large  number  embraced  religion. 
Among  these  was  Dick  Morgan,  with  many  of  his 
former  gang.  They  became  respectable  members 
of  society  and  pillars  in  the  Church  of  Christ. 


264  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 


THE  GREAT  REVIVAL  AT  TONVILLE, 


CHAPTER    I  . 
FOUR  MINISTERS. 

NO,  Tonville  is  not  the  name  by  which  you  can 
find  it  on  the  map.  Story- writers  are  granted  a 
very  liberal  privilege  in  this  line,  and  it  is  not  always 
that  it  is  used  with  prudence.  They  often  offend 
eyes  and  ears  with  outlandish  names.  Tonville 
is  expressive  in  meaning  and  melodious  in  sound. 
The  first  part  of  the  word  has  no  reference  to  any 
kind  or  amount  of  weight.  Two  thousand  pounds  has 
nothing  to  do  with  it.  In  Webster's  we  find  a  little 
noun  of  three  letters,  with  its  signification,  that  will 
satisfy  the  reader  as  to  the  meaning  of  Tonville.  It 
is  now  a  flourishing  village  with  a  population  of  six 
thousand.  At  the  time  of  our  story  of  course  it  was 
not  as  large  as  it  is  to-day ;  but  even  then  it  was 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  of  its  size  in  the 
Empire  State.  Its  citizens  were  proud  of  it,  and 
claimed  that  their  advantages  were  not  inferior  to 
those  of  the  cities.  They  had  a  first-class  academy, 
under  the  supervision  of  Professor  Strong,  a  gradu- 
ate of  Harvard;  a  musical  conservatory,  directed 
by  Professor  Peters,  of  Germany ;  an  opera-house 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.  265 

capable  of  seating  fifteen  hundred,  and  a  dancing 
academy  over  which  Professor  Hopper  presided. 
Many  of  Tonville's  private  residences  were  of  a 
very  superior  order.  Strangers  visiting  the  village 
would  linger  long  to  admire  their  beautiful  propor- 
'tions.  Flower-gardens  abounded,  which  in  their 
season  bloomed  like  Eden.  It  had  its  extensive 
lawns,  a  square,  and  an  ornamental  park.  It  could 
boast  of  a  very  competent  band,  which  on  summer 
evenings  sent  forth  sweet  melody,  on  the  wings  of 
the  gentle  breezes,  to  delight  the  listening  hun- 
dreds. Tonville  had  six  splendid  churches,  four  of 
which  were  considered  orthodox.  Two  hotels  of 
modern  construction  graced  the  village,  the 
"  Union  "  and  the  "  American,"  where  choice  ales, 
wines,  and  liquors  were  dealt  out  with  the  most 
finished  politeness  at  bar-rooms  rendered  doubly 
tempting  by  glittering  splendor.  From  these  drink- 
ing-rooms  there  were  ready  entrances  into  commo- 
dious billiard  parlors,  which  were  often  thronged 
until  late  hours  of  the  night.  The  village  had  also 
a  number  of  elegant  saloons  domg  thriving  business. 
And,  not  to  be  outdone  by  larger  places,  it  furnished 
a  number  of  low  groggeries,  where  those  could  be 
accommodated  who  were  no  longer  smiled  upon  at 
the  Union  and  American,  and  who  were  offensive  to 
the  young  bloods  at  the  fashionable  saloons.  Such, 
and  very  much  more,  was  Tonville. 

From  an  evangelical  point  of  view,  vital  piety  and 
genuine  spirituality  at  this  time  in  Tonville  were  very 
low.  Even  in  the  churches  there  were  many  that 
were  "  lovers  of  pleasure  more  than  lovers  of  God." 


266  Stories  of  Country  and  City, 

Heaven's  order  had  been  seriously  reversed.  In- 
stead of  Christians  by  consecrated  holy  lives  at- 
tracting the  world  toward  Jesus,  the  world,  with  its 
multiform  charms,  was  bringing  church  members  to 
its  own  level.  While  in  the  prayer-meetings  of  the 
various  churches  a  few  faithful  souls,  with  their  be- 
loved pastors,  were  struggling  to  keep  up  the  spirit- 
ual interest  of  Zion,  scores  of  their  brethren  and 
sisters  at  the  same  hours  could  be  seen  at  parties, 
comic  exhibitions,  the  theater,  and  the  dance.  Let 
it  not  be  supposed  that  this  state  of  things  was 
owing  to  a  lack  of  energy  and  spirituality  on  the 
part  of  the  pastors.  They  were  indeed  men  of  God, 
who  without  fear  declared  all  his  counsel.  But  the 
worldliness  of  their  communicants  was  more  than  a 
match  for  their  best  efforts.  It  is  no  wonder  that 
they  were  measurably  cast  down,  and  often  found 
"weeping  between  the  porch  and  the  altar." 

One  morning  Rev.  Thomas  Alvord,  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  while  in  his  study  thinking  over  the 
desolation  of  Zion,  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
something  would  have  to  be  done ;  and  under  that 
impression  he  started  for  the  Methodist  parsonage 
to  see  the  Rev.  John  Lloyd.  He  found  him  in  a 
state  of  mind  very  much  like  his  own.  After  a  little 
conversation  they  walked  together  to  consult  with 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Spicer,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
regard  to  Tonville's  moral  and  religious  dearth. 
They  found  the  doctor's  feelings  in  perfect  harmony 
with  their  own,  and  he  was  much  more  than  willing 
to  enter  into  any  measure  which,  under  God,  would 
wake  up  the  churches  from  their  spiritual  leUiargy. 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.  267 

"  Let  us  ask  Brother  Latimer  to  come  in  and 
join  us  in  this  conversation,"  said  Dr.  Spicer. 

"  I  would  be  delighted  to  have  him  with  us,"  said 
Mr.  Lloyd  ;  u  I  regard  him  very  highly.  But  as  an 
Episcopal  clergyman  I  fear  that  he  will  hardly  be 
willing  to  unite  with  us." 

"  He  may  not  feel  free  to  join  personally  in  the 
measures  that  we  may  propose,"  said  Dr.  Spicer, 
"  but  I  am  sure  that  we  shall  have  his  sympathy  and 
prayers.  He  greatly  laments  the  lack  of  spirituality 
among  his  own  members,  and  will  gladly  welcome 
any  movement  that  will  bring  the  churches  nearer 
to  God.  His  house  is  close  by,  and  I  would  be 
glad  to  have  him  invited." 

"  By  all  means  let  us  ask  him,"  said  Mr.  Alvord  ; 
and  Dr.  Spicer  started  for  the  residence  of  Rev. 
William  Latimer,  the  eloquent  rector  of  St.  Mark's 
Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Latimerivas  a  finished  gentleman,  a  polished 
scholar,  a  fine  pulpit  orator,  and  withal  a  devoted  , 
Christian.  Among  his  brethren  he  was  known  as 
what  is  termed  "  low  church."  He  firmly  believed 
that  the  form,  liturgy,  and  manner  of  worship  in 
the  Episcopal  Church  were  more  in  harmony  with 
those  of  the  apostolic  age  than  any  other  form  of 
church  worship.  Yet  he  was  free  to  confess  that 
all  evangelical  societies  who  worshiped  the  Father 
in  spirit  and  in  truth  formed  the  one  holy  catholic 
Church  of  Christ  on  earth.  His  profound  respect 
for  the  views  and  offices  of  his  superiors  moderated 
his  utterances  on  these  points  in  the  pulpit.  But 
in  social  conversation  among  his  parishioners  he 


268  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

would  without  hesitation  speak  of  other  ministers 
with  great  respect  and  acknowledge  the  validity  of 
their  ordination.  This  liberality  had  much  dis- 
pleased a  few  influential  members  of  his  congrega- 
tion ;  but  the  majority  of  his  flock  were  in  harmony 
with  his  views,  and  he  was  very  popular  among  the 
masses.  At  this  time  he  had  been  the  rector  of  St. 
Mark's  for  about  two  years. 

Dr.  Spicer  soon  returned,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Latimer,  who  was  cordially  received  by  the  other 
two. 

"  Brother  Latimer  bids  us  God-speed,"  said  Dr. 
Spicer. 

"  I  am  thankful  for  this  mark  of  your  confidence," 
said  the  rector.  "  I  deeply  sympathize  with  the 
object  you  have  in  view.  For  prudential  reasons, 
however,  I  must  be  much  out  of  sight.  Proceed, 
brethren,  and  let  me  be  a  listener.  I  may  have  a 
word  to  say  before  we  part." 

After  an  earnest  prayer,  Brother  Alvord,  as  the 
originator  of  the  gathering,  said  that  for  a  long 
time  he  had  been  greatly  troubled  in  his  mind  in 
view  of  the  low  state  of  religion  in  his  own  church. 
A  large  number  of  his  members  never  attended  the 
weekly  prayer-meeting,  and  on  very  trivial  excuses 
neglected  the  public  service  on  the  Sabbath.  They 
were  prompt  at  all  worldly  gatherings,  and  some  of 
them  attended  dances  and  theaters.  They  were 
not  backward  in  those  features  of  church  work  that 
required  no  particular  devotion,  but  they  would  not 
deny  themselves,  take  up  the  cross,  and  follow 
Christ.  And  while  such  was  the  moral  condition 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.  269 

of  so  many  of  the  members  of  his  church,  what 
could  he  expect  from  an  unbelieving  world  ? 

Brother  Lloyd  and  Brother  Spicer  followed  much 
in  the  same  strain.  ,  The  question  was  asked, 
"  What  shall  be  done  ?  "  The  conclusion  at  which 
they  arrived  was  that,  under  the  circumstances,  it 
was  desirable  to  hold  union  revival  meetings,  and 
that  all  in  the  village  who  favored  such  a  movement 
be  invited  to  meet  at  the  Baptist  church  on  the 
following  Tuesday  evening  and  express  their  views 
as  to  the  best  method  of  proceeding. 

Now,  as  the  meeting  was  about  to  close,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Latimer  rose  and  said  :  "  In  a  great  measure 
your  experience  is  also  mine.  I  mourn  over  the 
worldliness  of  a  large  number  of  the  members  of 
my  church.  They  are  absorbed  in  worldly  amuse- 
ments, and  when  in  pastoral  visiting  I  touch  upon 
personal  religion  they  have  no  relish  for  the  subject, 
and  for  relief  they  quickly  run  to  some  secular 
theme.  Some  are  so  given  up  to  the  world  that 
the  solemnities  of  Lent,  even,  are  disregarded. 
Others,  who  observe  this  fast  as  a  matter  of  form, 
crowd  their  worldly  pleasures  to  its  very  threshold 
and  rush  into  them  again  at  its  close  with  a 
new  relish.  My  heart  is  sick,  and  with  Jeremiah  I 
am  ready  to  cry,  '  O  that  my  head  were  waters  and 
mine  eyes  fountains  of  tears  !  '  In  view  of  the  can- 
dor with  which  you  have  told  your  experience  on 
this  point  it  gives  me  relief  to  let  you  know  the 
feelings  of  my  own  heart.  I  trust  that  your  antici- 
pated meeting  may  be  blessed  of  God  ;  and,  although 
I  cannot  be  with  you  in  the  front,  be  assured 


270  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

that  my  influence  will  be  in  your  favor,  and  I  shall 
be  glad  to  know  that  my  people  attend  the  meet- 
ings." Here  the  interview  closed. 

To  the  great  delight  of  th£  pastors  the  meeting 
at  the  Baptist  church  was  largely  attended.  The 
deliberations  in  regard  to  having  a  series  of  meet- 
ings showed  a  strong  desire  to  secure  the  services 
of  the  talented  evangelist,  Rev.  A.  B.  E.,  D.D. 
A  resolution  to  that  effect  was  carried  without  a 
dissenting  voice. 

The  answer  to  the  committee's  letter  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  DEAR  BRETHREN  :  I  can  give  you  three  weeks 
in  January.  I  am  glad  that  there  is  a  hearty  union 
of  the  churches.  Commence  the  work  at  once. 
'  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths 
straight. '  Let  there  be  a  union  prayer-meeting  four 
or  five  times  a  week  until  I  come.  A  great  work  is 

in  progress  in  W ,  and  over  three  hundred  have 

embraced  religion.     To  God  be  all  the  glory ! 

"  Your  servant  in  Christ,          A.  B.  E." 

This  letter  was  read  at  the  next  union  meeting, 
and  gave  great  satisfaction.  From  that  time  a 
prayer-meeting  was  held  almost  nightly,  and  the  in- 
terest was  on  the  increase. 

On  the  Sabbath  preceding  the  coming  of  Mr. 
E.  the  ministers  preached  sermons  particularly 
suited  to  the  occasion.  But  what  created  the  most 
stir  was  the  one  preached  by  Mr.  Latimer  at  St. 
Mark's;  especially  the  closing  part  of  it.  His  text 
was  Luke  ix,  49,  50.  "  And  John  answered  and 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  271 

said,  '  Master,  we  saw  one  casting  out  devils  in  thy 
name  ;  and  we  forbade  him,  because  he  followeth 
not  with  us.'  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  'Forbid 
him  not:  for  he  that  is  not  against  us  is  for  us.'  ' 

The  scope  of  the  eloquent  discourse  was  against 
religious  bigotry.  While  it  is  perfectly  right  for  us 
to  have  our  strong  preferences  in  regard  to  the 
various  branches  of  the  Christian  Church  we  should 
never  cherish  that  spirit  that  says,  "  Come  not  near 
to  me,  for  I  am  holier  than  thou."  In  closing  he 
said  :  "  Beloved  brethren,  while  we  dearly'  cherish 
our  own  beloved  Zion,  and  gladly  believe  that  the 
church  of  our  choice  in  its  mode  of  worship  is  nearer 
the  apostolic  standard  than  any  other,  let  us  bid 
God-speed  to  all  branches  of  the  church  militant 
which  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  '  cast  out 
devils.'  With  a  sad  heart  I  am  obliged  to  confess 
that  in  this  village  worldly  hilarity,  carnal  mirth 
and  unsanctified  amusement  have  such  a  hold 
upon  the  affections  of  scores,  if  not  hundreds,  of 
church  members  that  vital  piety  and  genuine 
spirituality  are  confined  to  a  very  small  number. 
Few  indeed  are  those  who  can  sincerely  say,  '  A 
day  in  thy  courts  is  better  than  a  thousand.'  Mul- 
titudes whose  names  are  found  among  the  communi- 
cants are  under  the  influence  of  worldly  fashionable 
devils,  who  have  taken  away  all  of  their  devotion. 
I  am  ready  to  welcome  to  our  midst  any  brethren, 
whether  they  follow  with  us  or  not,  who  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  cast  out  devils.  It  is  an- 
nounced that  a  celebrated  revivalist  is  about  to 
commence  his  labors  among  us — a  man  noted  for 


272  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

his  piety,  moderation,  and  order.  If  there  is  any 
value  in  history  he  certainly  puts  to  flight  evil 
spirits.  He  follows  not  with  us.  Shall  we  there- 
fore forbid  him  ?  Nay,  brethren !  If  Mr.  E.,  under 
God,  can  arouse  this  village  to  a  sense  of  its  awful 
condition,  let  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
give  him  a  hearty  welcome.  I  have  properly 
weighed  these  words  before  giving  them  utterance. 
I  am  fully  prepared  to  defend  them  and  stand  by 
them.  May  God  deliver  the  Church  from  satanic 
influence  I'1 


CHAPTER  II. 
HOW  IT  LOOKED  TO  MARY. 

pOLONEL  DUNBAR  was  a  wealthy  banker, 
\j  and  his  residence  was  one  of  the  finest  in 
Tonville.  He  was  friendly,  cordial,  highly  intelli- 
gent, and  looked  upon  as  a  very  valuable  citizen. 
He  was  a  regular  attendant  at  the  Episcopal 
church,  but  not  a  member.  He  had  high  regards 
for  Christianity,  and  was  considered  by  many  a 
religious  man.  In  his  contributions  he  was  liberal, 
not  only  for  the  church  which  he  attended,  but  his 
generosity  reached  the  others  also.  His  wife's  par- 
ents, who  had  departed  this  life,  were  "  high  church  " 
Episcopalians,  and  their  daughter,  now  Mrs.  Dun- 
bar,  from  her  early  childhood  had  very  naturally  im- 
bibed the  views  of  her  father  and  mother.  She 
was  a  kind-hearted,  intelligent  lady,  noted -for  her 
"high  church"  convictions.  In  early  youth  she 


Tlie  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.  273 

had  been  confirmed,  and  her  zeal  for  that  interesting 
branch  of  the  church  militant  was  very  positive,  if 
not  always  "according  to  knowledge."  With  this 
exclusiveness  her  husband  had  no  sympathy,  and 
oftentimes  in  his  pleasant  way  he  would  express  his 
opinion  in  plain  terms. 

Mrs.  Dunbar  was  a  leader  in  gay  circles.  She 
frequented  the  theaters,  and.  was  generally  present 
at  all  the  fashionable  dancing-parties.  Her  hus- 
band would  go  to  these  gatherings,  not  because 
they  yielded  him  any  satisfaction,  but  as  company 
to  his  wife.  He  often  thought  it  strange  that  Mrs. 
Dunbar  and  so  many  of  her  fellow  church  members 
should  be  leaders  in  worldly  gayeties;  but  such  was 
his  regard  for  her  feelings  that  never  as  yet  had  he 
called  her  attention  to  the  subject.  In  the  common 
acceptation  of  the  term  she  was  an  excellent  lady, 
and  amid  all  her  gay  and  often  deceitful  surround- 
ings there  was  in  her  a  refreshing  degree  of  sin- 
cerity. Sometimes,  when  disputing  with  her  friends, 
and  expressing  herself  in  the  most  positive  style 
and  in  the  strongest  terms,  she  would  unexpectedly 
surrender,  and  in  the  most  frank  manner  admit  that 
she  had  seen  her  mistake.  They  had  one  child  ;  a 
daughter.  She  was  fair  in  person,  had  a  strong, 
vigorous  mind  and  ready  utterance.  Mary  Dunbar 
from  her  early  childhood  had  been  a  lover  of  study. 
Her  advantages  had  been  superior,  and  now,  at 
twenty,  she  was  a  ripe  scholar.  With  her  parents, 
she  was  a  regular  attendant  at  church,  but  was  not 
a  communicant.  More  to  please  others  than  from 

her  own  inclination  she  would  attend  theaters  and 
18 


274  Star  it's  of  Country  and  City. 

dancing-parties.  To  her  mother's  astonishment  she 
would  often  beg  for  the  luxury  of  staying  at  home. 
She  was  the  pride  of  her  parents,  and  in  the  village 
she  was  a,  universal  favorite.  By  common  consent 
she  was  considered  the  most  beautiful  young  lady 
in  Tonville.  She  was  perfectly  free  from  vanity, 
conceit,  or  haughtiness.  Her  smiles  were  bestowed 
upon  the  deserving  poor  as  well  as  the  rich.  In 
company  she  would  be  attired  in  simple  elegance, 
while  others  displayed  their  tastes  by  "  superfluity 
of  apparel." 

Colonel  Dunbar's  parents  also  resided  in  Ton- 
ville, with  whom  a  widowed  daughter,  Mrs.  Sin- 
clair, stayed,  devoting  herself  to  the  comfort  of  the 
somewhat  aged  couple.  These  parents,  with  the 
daughter,  were  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist 
church.  Mary  Dunbarwas  passionately  fond  of  her 
grandparents  and  her  Aunt  Martha,  and  no  face 
brought  more  sunshine  into  the  home  of  the  vener- 
able twain  than  that  of  their  smiling  grandchild. 
Grandma  Dunbar,  in  her  own  sweet,  impressive 
manner  had  often  spoken  to  Mary  on  the  subject 
of  religion,  and  of  the  great  importance  of  personal, 
experimental  piety.  The  young  lady,  with  tears  in 
her  eyes,  would  kiss  her  grandmother,  thank  her  for 
her  good  advice,  and  secretly  wish  that  her  mother's 
religion  was  of  the  like  stamp. 

It  was  the  afternoon  of  the  Sabbath  on  which 
Mr.  Latimer  had  given  his  stirring  sermon  on 
sectarian  bigotry.  Colonel  Dunbar,  his  wife,  and 
daughter,  were  seated  in  the  parlor.  Hitherto  the 
subject  of  the  morning  discourse  had  not  been 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.  275 

touched  upon,  although  it  was  fresh  and  uppermost 
in  the  minds  of  all.  Perhaps  they  had  only  been 
waiting  for  a  convenient  time.  It  was  evident  that 
the  father  and  daughter  were  delighted  with  what 
they  had  heard,  and  there  were  unmistakable  signs 
that  the  mother  was  highly  dipleased.  The  con- 
versation was  opened  by  Mrs.  Dunbar,  in  whose 
mind  had  accumulated  a  rich  abundance  of  "  high 
church  "  sentiments  which  longed  for  permission  to 
be  heard. 

"Well,"  said  she,  "the  walls  of  our  church 
echoed  this  morning  to  strange  sentences,  I  must 
say."  * 

"  I  honor  them  for  their  echo,  my  dear,"  said  the 
colonel.  "  Any  sensible  walls  would  have  done 
the  same.  I  think  the  sentiments  found  an  echo  in 
the  hearts  of  the  people." 

"  They  found  no  echo  in  my  heart,"  was  the 
reply. 

"And  so  much  the  worse  for  your  heart,"  said 
the  husband,  with  a  very  pleasant  smile.  "  I  always 
liked  Mr.  Latimer's  preaching,  but  to-day  more 
than  ever." 

"  We  have  had  ministers  at  St.  Mark's  that  did 
not  trouble  themselves  about  their  parishioners' 
amusements,"  said  Mrs.  Dunbar.  "They  left  that 
to  our  sense  of  propriety  and  attended  to  their 
own  legitimate  business.  We  then  went  to  church 
and  enjoyed  the  sermon,  but  now  we  often  come 
home  and  feel  sore  from  an  unjust  chastisement 
administered  by  one  who  would  deprive  us  of  our 
few  entertainments." 


276  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  But  if  Mr.  Latimer  fully  believes  that  these  en- 
tertainments are  destroying  the  spirituality  of  his 
church  is  it  not  his  duty,  as  a  faithful  watchman,  to 
warn  his  flock  against  their  pernicious  influence?" 
asked  her  husband  in  a  kind  voice. 

"  At  least  he  ought  to  do  it  in  a  different  way,"  said 
the  wife.  "  It  was  altogether  too  much  in  the  vein 
of  the  sects.  If  it  were  not  for  his  gown  a  stranger 
coming  in  would  have  easily  taken  him  for  a  Method- 
ist minister." 

"  I  agree  with  you  there,  my  dear,"  said  Colonel 
Dunbar,  smiling,  "  and  the  mistake  of  the  stranger 
would  have  been  as  complimentary  to  Mr.  Latimer 
as  to  the  Methodist  ministry." 

"  His  sermons  lack  in  that  smooth,  graceful,  dig- 
nified, and  melodious  oratory  becoming  the  pulpits 
of  the  Church,"  said  Mrs.  Dunbar ;  "  and,  worse 
than  that,  there  was  in  the  last  part  of  his  sermon 
a  shameful  lowering  of  our  standard  to  the  level  of 
the  sects." 

"Not  so,  my  dear,"  said  the  husband;  "he 
lowered  no  standard.  He  only  said  that  the  one 
great  Church  of  Christ  on  earth  was  composed  of  all 
true  believers,  of  whatever  names  or  denomina- 
tions." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  wife ;  "  and  is  not  that  put- 
ting the  Church  on  a  level  with  the  sects  ?" 

"Yes,  it  is,"  was  the  answer;  "but  it  is  not 
lowering  the  Church's  standard.  It  is  simply 
acknowledging  that  God's  favorites  are  not  confined 
to  any  particular  communion." 

"  Christ  has  but  one  Church,  and  of  that  Church 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.  277 

I  am  a  member,"  said  Mrs.  Dunbar.  "  In  her  you 
will  find  the  only  true  ordination.  And  for  an 
Episcopal  rector  from  the  pulpit  of  the  church  to 
put  her  on  a  level  with  these  sects  is  a  shame  !" 

"  I  am  happy  to  believe  that  my  dear  wife  is  far 
more  charitable  than  her  words,  at  least,  would  in- 
dicate," said  the  father. 

"Charity  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  said  the 
wife.  "  No  charity  can  alter  facts.  The  sects  are 
outside  of  the  true  Church,  and  all  the  charity  in 
the  universe  cannot  make  it  otherwise." 

"So  thought  Peter  once,"  was  the  reply;  "but 
the  vision  gave  him  to  understand  that  what  God 
had  cleansed  he  was  not  to  call  common  or  unclean. 
Let  us  be  careful,  my  dear,  that  we  do  not  look 
with  disdain  upon  those  whom  God  has  purified, 
'  because  they  follow  not  with  us.'  ' 

"  That  sounds  well  enough,"  said  the  wife,  in  a 
more  reflective  mood.  "  But  I  say  again  that  Mr. 
Latimer,  in  putting  us  on  a  level  with  the  sects, 
did  not  act  the  part  of  a  true  churchman." 

"My  dear  mamma,"  said  Mary,  "I  think  the 
members  of  the  church,  at  least,  are  complimented 
by  being  put  on  a  level  with  the  'sects,'  as  you 
call  them." 

"  That  is  a  strange  idea,  surely,"  said  the  mother. 
"  Mary,  what  do  you  mean  ?" 

"I  mean,"  said  the  daughter,  in  a  quiet  tone, 
"  that  the  members  of  the  sects,  at  least  in  Ton- 
ville, lead  far  more  exemplary  Christian  lives  than  do 
the  members  of  our  own  church.  I  have  watched 
this  point  for  years,  and  that  is  my  conviction." 


278  Stories  of  Country  and  City, 

"  I  am  perfectly  astonished  to  hear  such  language 
from  you,  my  daughter,"  said  Mrs.  Dunbar.  "  It  is 
wholly  uncalled  for.  What  is  there  in  the  conduct 
of  our  church  members  to  which  you  can  object?" 

"  I  would  not  purposely  hurt  your  feelings  for 
the  world,  my  dear  mamma,"  said  the  daughter. 
"  I  have  had,  and  do  have,  much  serious  thought  on 
the  subject  of  religion,  and  when  I  take  exception 
to  the  behavior  of  members  of  our  church  it  is  not 
in  a  sneering,  cold,  fault-finding  spirit.  You  ask 
me  to  what  I  object  in  the  conduct  of  our  church 
members.  I  answer,  it  -  is  that  which  almost 
crushes  our  good  pastor  and  his  most  excellent 
wife  :  a  constant  running  of  the  members  into  all 
the  frivolities  and  vanities  of  an  unbelieving  and 
wicked  world.  Theaters,  operas,  card-tables,  and 
dances — these  are  the  favorite  objects  of  a  large 
number  of  his  flock,  while  hardly  ever  a  word  is 
heard  of  vital  piety  and  experimental  religion. 
Mamma,  just  think  over  the  members  of  our  church, 
and  how  many  can  you  find  that  lead  a  life  of 
religious  consecration  ;  that  take  up  the  cross  and 
follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the  humble  Nazarene? 
The  most  prominent  of  our  members  are  leaders  in 
masquerades  and  fashionable  dancing-parties.  This 
is  true,  in  a  measure,  of  members  of  other  churches, 
but  not  to  such  an  extent.  Among  them  I  find  a 
large  number  of  faithful,  devoted  souls  who  are 
deeply  grieved  over  the  backslidings  of  the  rest. 
And  that  is  the  reason  why  I  think  our  church 
complimented  by  being  put  on  a  level  with  the 
sects." 


TJic  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  279 

The  parents  listened  in  perfect  astonishment. 
They  had  never  heard  her  express  herself  in  that 
wise  before.  The  mother  looked  reflective,  and  in 
the  eyes  of  the  father  there  was  a  moisture  which 
denoted  a  degree  of  inward  emotion. 

"  Mary,"  asked  the  mother,  "  do  you  think  it 
wrong  for  members  of  the  church  to  attend  theaters 
and  dances  ?" 

"  If  I  should  answer  that  question  directly,  dear 
mamma,"'  said  Mary,  "  I  am  afraid  it  would  sound 
almost  disrespectful.  I  will  only  refer  you  to  the 
solemn  questions  and  answers  in  our  baptismal 
service,  and  which  are  ratified  by  the  candidates  at 
confirmation.  There  they  promise  to  '  renounce 
the  devil  and  all  his  works,  the  vain  pomp  and  glory 
of  the  world,  all  the  carnal  desires  of  the  flesh,  to 
keep  God's  holy  will  and  commandments,  and  walk 
in  the  same  all  the  days  of  their  lives.'  I  have 
heard  those  solemn  promises  from  the  lips  of  young 
ladies  at  the  baptismal  altar,  and  then  at  confirma- 
tion, who  in  the  week  following,  in  the  society 
of  irreligious  persons,  were  seen  waltzing  until  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  next  night  they  were 
at  the  theater  and  the  next  at  another  dance. 
Confirmation,  with  its  solemn  promises,  a  theater, 
and  two  dancing-parties  in  one  week  !  If  church 
members  are  to  rush  into  all  the  amusements  of  an 
ungodly  world  where  does  the  self-denial  come  in  ? 
Where  is  the  cross  that  is  to  be  taken  up  ?  And 
where  is  the  crucifixion  of  the  world  to  us  and  ours 
to  the  world  ?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  Mr.  Latimer  is 
crushed  in  spirit,  and  is  glad  to  welcome  some  one 


2 So  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

to  this  wicked  village  who  will  give  it  a  tremendous 
shaking  and  '  cast  out  devils'  ?  " 

"  Why,  Mary,"  said  the  mother,  while  a  peculiar 
trembling  came  over  her,  "  from  the  way  you  speak 
I  should  think  that  you  would  never  be  seen  again 
either  at  a  dance  or  in  a  theater." 

"  Mamma,"  was  the  reply,  "  I  have  not  enjoyed 
a  dance  for  years.  I  knew  that  you  wished  me  to 
attend  them,  and  to  please  my  mother  I  went.  If 
left  to  my  own  free  choice  I  would  never  attend 
another  ball  or  be  seen  in  a  theater.  Dancing  is 
frivolous  and  the  theater  demoralizing." 

"  Mary,  you  actually  frighten  me !"  said  the 
mother,  gazing  at  her  daughter  with  a  puzzled  look. 
*'  What  would  society  think  of  you  ?  What  would 
your  young  associates  say — the  Nelsons,  the  De- 
longs,  the  Chathams,  the  Dunlaps,  the  Armitages, 
and  others?  You  certainly  ought  to  reflect  before 
taking  such  a  step." 

"  Reflect !  "  said  Mary.  "  It  is  reflection  that  has 
brought  this  about.  I  am  not  indifferent  to  the 
opinion  of  my  friends.  But  if  I  am  to  fall  in  their 
estimation  because  I  see  fit  to  abandon  ball-rooms 
and  theaters,  I  am  fully  prepared  to  make  the  sac- 
rifice." 

"  Those  are  noble  sentiments,  and  worthy  of  my 
own  dear  Mary,"  said  the  father,  with  much  feel- 
ing. "  Dear  as  you  have  been  to  me  always,  you 
stand  higher  in  my  estimation  at  this  moment  than 
ever  before." 

"  Mary,"  said  the  mother  in  a  subdued  tone,  "  if 
you  thought  that,  as  a  member  of  the  church,  I  was 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  281 

leading  an  unbecoming  life,  why  did  you  not  tell 
me  so  long  ago  ?  " 

"Mamma,  dear,  would  it  become  a  child  to  re- 
prove her  parent  ?  And  even  to-day  I  hope  that  I 
have  not  been  disrespectful  to  my  good  mother," 
said  Mary. 

"  Have  you  not  been  conversed  with  of  late  in  re- 
gard to  the  matter  ?  "  asked  her  mother. 

"  My  dear  grandmother,  with  earnest  affection,  has 
often  spoken  to  me  on  the  subject  of  religion,"  said 
Mary.  "  To  her  kind  admonition  more  than  any 
thing  else  I  am  indebted  for  my  present  feelings. 
Mr.  Latimer  also  has  often  spoken  to  me  on  the 
same  subject,  but  I  think  he  never  advised  me  in 
regard  to  theaters  and  dances." 

"  That  is  certainly  a  wonder,"  said  the  mother. 

"  I  think  I  can  see  two  reasons  why  he  did  not 
mention  those  things  while  conversing  with  Mary," 
said  the  father.  "  First,  his  chief  object  was  to 
bring  her  to  embrace  experimental  religion,  and 
then  he  would  show  the  dangers  that  would  beset 
her.  Secondly,  there  would  be  something  like  ab- 
surdity in  advising  a  young  lady  not  a  member  of 
his  church  to  shun  those  fashionable  amusements 
to  which  so  many  of  his  own  members  were  so 
deeply  attached.  Does  it  not  so  appear  to  you  ?  " 

Without  replying  the  mother  again  addressed  her 
daughter  :  "  Mary,  if  you  shut  yourself  up  from  soci- 
ety I  fear  you  will  be  despondent  and  gloomy,  and 
it  may  possibly  injure  your  health. " 

"  I  have  not  the  least  intention  of  absenting  my- 
self from  society.  I  intend  to  greatly  enlarge  the 


282  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

circle,"  said  Mary.  "  Society,  in  the  good  sense  of 
the  term,  does  not  mean  an  exclusive  set  that 
dreads  to  come  in  contact  with  common  people. 
For  one,  I  long  to  get  loose  from  the  gilded  but 
oppressive  chains  of  what  is  termed  fashionable  so- 
ciety and  imitate  more  fully  the  Saviour  of  the 
world,  who  '  went  about  doing  good.'  I  pant  for 
that  inward  peace  and  spirit-rest  that  flow  from 
fellowship  with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Now,  without  any  particular  forethought,  I  have 
revealed  to  my  dear  parents  the  secret  feelings  and 
desires  of  my  heart.  What  others  can  do  is  not 
for  me  to  say,  but,  as  for  myself,  I  can  never  be  a 
humble  self-denying  Christian  and  at  the  same  time 
a  worshiper  at  the  shrine  of  worldly  pleasure." 

"  Mary,  dear,"  said  the  father  in  tremulous  ac- 
cents, "  I  am  sure  your  mother  will  never  ask  you 
to  join  in  any  company  or  amusement  not  in  har- 
mony with  your  religious  convictions." 

Mrs.  Dunbar's  countenance  manifested  a  peculiar 
expression.  In  that  mother's  heart  there  was  a 
struggle.  The  solemn  words  of  her  daughter  had 
reached  not  only  her  ears  but  her  inmost  conscience. 
The  awful  truth  flashed  upon  her  mind  that  through- 
out the  years  she,  a  mother  and  a  member  of  the 
church,  as  far  as  her  example  was  concerned  had 
been  leading  her  child  into  the  broad  road  that 
leads  to  death.  After  what  her  husband  had  said 
she  remained  silent  for  a  few  moments,  then  rushed 
up  to  her  daughter,  fell  weeping  upon  her  bosom, 
and  broke  out  in  sobbing  accents  :  "  O  my  dear 
child,  your  wonderful  words  have  opened  my  blind 


TJie  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  283 

eyes!  I  accept  them  as  a  revelation  from  Heaven. 
Instead  of  giving  my  daughter  a  good  Christian  ex- 
ample, and  leading  her  to  the  Saviour,  I  have  en- 
couraged her  in  the  ways  of  sin  and  vanity.  I  will 
do  so  no  more,  God  being  my  helper !  I  have 
wickedly  despised  the  truth  and  disliked  our  godly 
pastor.  May  God  forgive  me  !  No,  my  dear  child, 
as  your  father  has  said,  I  will  no  longer  lay  a  straw 
in  your  way.  I  will  follow  your  example  and  try 
to  be  a  good  Christian.  I  ask  both  of  you  to  for- 
give me  and — " 

"  O  mamma,  mamma,"  interrupted  Mary,  "don't 
ask  forgiveness  at  my  hand  !  I  cannot  bear  it.  It 
shocks  me.  You  have  only  done  what  you  consid- 
ered proper." 

"  Yes  ;  but  what  right  had  I  to  consider  the  life  I 
led  as  right  and  proper?"  said  the  mother.  "I 
have  led  a  Avorldly  life.  I  have  had  a  name  to  live 
while  dead.  I  have  prided  myself  on  the  superiority 
of  the  Church  to  the  sects,  and  looked  down  upon 
the  purest  Christians  in  Tonville  '  because  they  fol- 
low not  with  us.'  Even  your  godly  grandmother 
I  have  considered  as  outside  of  the  true  Church.  I 
pray  the  Lord  to  lead  me  in  the  right  way.  O 
Mary,  darling,  you  have  led  your  mother  to  the 
foot  of  the  cross."  And  as  a  fitting  conclusion  she 
warmly  embraced  her  daughter  and  fondly  kissed 
her  husband. 


284  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  PARTY  AND  THE  REVIVAL. 

THE  evening  union  prayer-meetings  had  now 
been  held  constantly  for  nearly  two  weeks. 
From  the  first  the  faithful  devoted  souls  in  all  the 
churches  had  entered  into  the  work  with  a  firm  faith 
that  the  Jehovah  whom  they  sought  would  "sud- 
denly come  to  his  temple."  The  hills  were  being 
lowered,  the  valleys  elevated,  and  the  way  of  the 
Lord  prepared.  As  these  meetings  progressed  the 
interest  increased,  and  nightly  the  attendance  had 
become  more  encouraging.  On  the  Sabbath  even- 
ing before  the  appearance  of  the  evangelist  the 
prayer-meeting  at  the  Methodist  church  was  a  sea- 
son of  "  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord." 
"A  sound  of  a  going"  was  heard  "in  the  tops  of 
the  mulberry-trees,"  and  the  army  of  God  was  al- 
ready shouting  for  the  battle. 

It  was  Monday  evening,  and  there  was  a  small 
party  of  young  people  at  the  residence  of  Thomas 
Armitage,  who  was  a  wealthy  merchant,  and  had 
been  in  trade  at  Tonville  for  thirty  years.  He  was 
an  official  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
was  a  man  of  great  influence  in  the  community. 
His  wife,  much  younger  than  himself,  was  of  a 
lively  temperament,  fond  of  company,  and,  with 
her  husband,  a  member  of  the  church.  She  would 
give  liberally  for  any  worthy  object  that  needed 
money.  She  was  careful  that  the  poor  were  not 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  285 

neglected  at  "Christmas-times."  She  would  plan 
festivals,  manage  sociables,  engineer  surprise  parties, 
encourage  concerts,  go  to  church,  take  the  sacra- 
ment, give  dancing-parties,  play  cards,  and  go  to  the 
theater.  Deacon  Armitage  was  a  devout,  humble 
Christian,  and  silently  grieved  over  his  wife's  ex- 
treme worldliness.  They  had  two  children,  George 
and  Grace.  The  brother  was  twenty-five  and  the 
sister  five  years  younger.  It  might  be  supposed 
that  these  children  would  have  naturally  followed 
in  the  footsteps  of  the  mother,  and  rush  into  all  the 
fashionable  amusements  of  the  day.  But  it  was 
otherwise.  Although  not  Christians  they  were 
rather  inclined  to  follow  the  example  of  their  pious 
father.  The  young  company  were  together  in  the 
commodious  parlors. 

"  Well,"  said  Robert  Nelson,  in  a  trifling  tone, 
"  they  say  that  our  Tonville  dominies  gave  us 
dancing  characters  '  Hail  Columbia'  yesterday 
mornine.  If  I  had  known  that  they  were  to  fire  off 

o  * 

such  big  guns  I  would  have  gone  to  meeting  my- 
self." 

"  It  was  well  that  you  stayed  at  home,"  said  Ar- 
thur Belong.  "  The  preaching  was  unusually  inter- 
esting, and  the  people  listened  as  they  had  never 
listened  before  ;  and  if  in  any  of  the  churches  they 
had  seen  you  I  fear  that  such  a  strange  occurrence 
would  have  diverted  their  minds  from  the  preacher's 
discourse." 

This  produced  some  merriment  which  Nelson  did 
not  quite  enjoy.  He  soon  rallied,  however,  and 
said  : 


286  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  The  reverend  gentlemen  have  taken  upon  their 
hands  too  big  a  job.  I  would  advise  them  to  drop 
it  and  turn  their  attention  to  repentance  and  faith, 
which  would  be  far  more  legitimate  to  their  calling 
than  to  undertake  to  regulate  dances  and  thea- 
ters." 

"  And  I  think  that  Mr.  Robert  Nelson  has  taken 
upon  his  hands  too  big  a  job  ;  and  I  would  advise 
him  to  drop  it  and  pay  his  attention  to  corn,  wheat, 
oats,  barley,  and  flour-sacks — which  would  be  far 
more  legitimate  to  his  calling  than  to  regulate  min- 
isters and  churches,"  said  Emma  Thornton,  a  lively 
lass  of  eighteen,  who  could  say  what  she  pleased 
without  giving  offense.  "  Our  ministers  are  men  of 
brains,  and  are  supposed  to  know  their  duty.  If 
they  wish  to  advise  their  own  members  in  regard  to 
theaters,  dances,  and  playing  cards,  is  it  any  of 
Mr.  Nelson's  business?" 

"  Come,  Em,  don't  be  too  hard  on  a  fellow," 
said  Nelson.  "  But  even  with  their  own  members  I 
fear  that  their  task  is  a  hopeless  one,  for,  as  far  as  I 
can  see,  '  pilgrims  and  sojourners  '  love  to  dance, 
play  cards,  and  go  to  theaters,  as  well  as  we  poor 
guilty  wretches  who  are  going  to  the  bad." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Nelson,  for  your  timely  and 
fearless  reproof,"  said  Emma  ;  "and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  we  shall  profit  by  the  same." 

"  Reproof,  indeed  !  "  said  Nelson.  "  Far  from  it. 
I  think  that  you  do  perfectly  right  in  acting  out 
your  independence,  and  not  to  go  at  the  bidding  of 
any  set  of  men,  whether  priests  or  deacons.  Rather 
say  I  compliment  you." 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  287 

"  I  am  really  sorry  to  hear  your  explanation," 
said  Miss  Thornton.  "  As  a  reproof  your  words  had 
decided  merit.  As  a  compliment  they  are  ludicrous. 
'  Independence,'  indeed  !  What  kind  of  independ- 
ence is  that  which  tramples  upon  the  feelings  of  a 
faithful  pastor,  causes  sorrow  to  the  best  members 
of  the  society,  and  violates  church  covenants  and 
sacred  vows?  Is  this  the  independence  that  you 
wish  to  compliment?" 

"I  trust  that  Miss  Thornton  does  not  accuse  her- 
self or  any  of  her  friends  of  any  of  those  things 
she  mentioned,"  said  Mr.  Nelson,  feeling  rather 
uneasy. 

"  I  have  no  accusation  against  my  friends,"  said 
Emma.  "  But  in  regard  to  my  own  behavior  as  a 
church  member  I  plead  guilty.  I  have  grieved  my 
minister,  I  have  wounded  the  feelings  of  my  breth- 
ren, and  I  have  in  spirit  violated  my  church  cov- 
enant. Let  no  person  that  has  any  regard  for  my 
feelings  compliment  me  on  this  wicked  independ- 
ence. Last  Saturday  I  would  have  not  spoken  in 
this  way.  The  solemn  truths  to  which  I  listened 
yesterday  at  the  Baptist  church  opened  my  eyes, 
and  I  saw  where  I  stood  ;  and  your  flippant  remarks 
touching  our  ministers  .have  in  a  measure  loosened 
my  tongue." 

"  I  declare !"  said  Miss  Julia  Chattam,  with  a  dis- 
pleased look.  "  This  sounds  more  like  a  prayer- 
meeting  than  an  evening  party." 

"If  Julia  remembers  how  a  prayer-meeting 
sounds  she  must  have  a  vigorous  memory,"  said 
her  brother,  with  a  calm  smile. 


288  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  Fred,  don't  be  hateful,"  said  Julia.  "  You  don't 
often  go  yourself.  I  simply  meant  that  the  conver- 
sation had  taken  a  religious  turn,  which  you  know 
is  not  becoming." 

"  I  don't  know  any  thing  of  the  kind,"  said  Fred. 
"  I  began  to  enjoy  it  very  much.  Our  parties  greatly 
stand  in  need  of  a  new  departure  in  the  line  of  con- 
versation. Why  should  it  be  considered  unbecom- 
ing, in  a  company  chiefly  made  up  of  church  mem- 
bers, to  have  an  occasional  exchange  of  views  in 
regard  to  religious  matters?  Yesterday  I  did  not 
hear  Dr.  Spicer,  my  own  minister.  I  went  to  St. 
Mark's,  and  there  I  heard  a  discourse  which  I  shall 
never  forget.  As  a  professor  of  religion  I  felt 
ashamed  of  myself.  For  years  I  have  been  one  of 
Nelson's  '  independents.'  I  must  lead  a  new  life  or 
leave  the  church.  If  there  had  been  a  prayer-meet- 
ing to-night  I  would  have  gone." 

"  Fred  Chattam,  what  has  come  over  you  ?"  cried 
his  sister.  Then  turning  to  Mary  Dunbar,  she  said, 
"  Mary,  don't  you  think  that  my  brother  and  Emma 
are  getting  insane  on  this  subject?" 

"  I  am  not  an  expert  on  the  subject  of  insanity," 
was  the  answer,  "  and  my  opinion  would  be  of  no 
value." 

"  But  we  must  have  it,"  said  Julia,  while  several 
others  joined  in  the  request. 

"  Well,"  said  Mary,  calmly,  "  it  is  my  opinion  that 
the  language  of  Mr.  Chattam  and  Miss  Thornton 
indicates  a  very  healthy  state  of  mind  and  perfect 
moral  sanity.  They  have  spoken  words  of  truth 
and  soberness.  I  am  no  Christian.  I  often  have 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  289 

serious  feelings,  but  I  am  well  convinced  that  if  I 
should  follow  the  Saviour  he  would  never  lead  me 
to  dances,  card-tables,  and  theaters." 

"  Worse  and  worse  !  "  said  Julia,  while  the  rest  of 
the  company  were  much  astonished.  "  I  certainly 
thought,  Mary,  that  you  were  safe  against  this  con- 
tagion, but  you  have  taken  it  badly.  I  am  sure 
your  mother  will  not  encourage  you  in  this  non- 
sense." 

"  My  mother  will  not  encourage  me  in  any  non- 
sense," said  Mary,  smiling  ;  "  but  we  view  this  mat- 
ter alike.  Since  yesterday  morning  a  great  change 
has  taken  place  in  our  family.  We  have  given  up 
forever  theaters,  dances,  and  card-tables.  This  may 
modify  Mr.  Nelson's  view  in  regard  to  the  hopeless- 
ness of  our  minister's  task." 

"  I  take  it  all  back,  Miss  Dunbar,"  said  Nelson. 
"  I  think  the  '  big  job  '  will  be  accomplished." 

Julia  looked  a  little  bewildered  and  somewhat 
vexed.  She  turned  to  William  Dunlap-,  a  young 
lawyer,  not  a  member  of  the  church,  and  said,  "  Mr. 
Dunlap,  what  think  you  of  these  things  ?  Do  you 
think  there  is  any  harm  in  Christians  dancing,  play- 
ing cards,  and  attending  theaters?" 

"  The  theater,  upon  the  whole,  has  a  corrupting 
influence,"  said  the  young  lawyer;  "and  if  I  had  a 
sister  for  whom  the  play  had  great  attractions  I 
should  look  upon  it  as  a  great  calamity.  In  regard 
to  cards,  the  young  man  that  never  touches  them, 
even  for  amusement,  is  to  be  congratulated.  In 
regard  to  dancing,  it  is  a  worldly  amusement  entirely 

destitute  of  any  beneficial   moral  effects.      As   an 
19 


290  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

answer  to  your  question  I  will  say  that  in  my  opin- 
ion those  persons,  members  of  the  church,  who 
indulge  in  those  things,  are  hurting  themselves,  and 
giving  strong  grounds  to  those  who  are  without  to 
think  that  they  may  as  well  be  in  the  world  as  in 
the  church." 

"Well,  now  I'll  give  up!"  said  Miss  Chattam. 
"  I  have  never  heard  such  things  in  all  my  life,  and 
I  don't  feel  comfortable.  I  shall  have  to  think  these 
things  over.  I  am  not  sure  but  that  I  also  feel  some 
of  the  symptoms  of  this  epidemic.  Well,  let  it 
come.  When  I  shall  see  things  in  that  light  I  ^hall 
be  as  honest  as  the  rest  of  you.  Mrs.  Armitage, 
why  don't  you  say  something  ?  Here  you  have  heard 
these  astonishing  things  and  you  have  not  said  a 
word.  I  hope  we  have  not  hurt  your  feelings." 

"  Far  from  that,  my  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Armitage  ; 
"  I  have  been  very  much  pleased  with  the  conver- 
sation. I  was  prepared  to  be  interested  from  what 
I  heard  yesterday  from  Dr.  Spicer.  He  seemed  to 
be  divinely  inspired.  He  brought  us  to  the  bar  of 
our  own  consciences,  and,  for  one,  I  felt  condemned. 
There  were  but  few  dry  eyes  in  the  house,  and  we 
made  a  new  consecration.  I  have  set  a  bad  example 
before  my  children,  but  fortunately  they  had  a  de- 
voted Christian  father.  To-morrow  morning  Mr.  E. 
commences  his  labors,  and  I  hope  to  attend  all  the 
meetings.  Now,  Julia,  dear,  let  us  have  some  music 
— something  with  'the  ring  '  in  it." 

Here  the  smiling  countenance  of  Deacon  Ar- 
mitage appeared,  who  was  warmly  greeted  by  the 
young  people. 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  291 

"  What  shall  we  sing,  Mrs.  Armitage  ? "  asked 
Julia. 

"  Sing  Mr.  Armitage's  favorite,"  was  the  answer, 
"  '  Jesus,  I  my  cross  have  taken.'  " 

The  deacon  was  well  pleased,  and  had  an  im- 
pression that  the  selection  was  not  in  harmony  with 
former  usages.  The  whole  of  the  grand  hymn  was 
sung  in  an  impressive  style  by  well-trained  voices. 

"  May  Heaven  bless  you,  my  dear  young  people," 
said  the  good  man,  "  and  may  you  be  delivered  from 
the  deceitful  charms  of  an  ungodly  world  !  " 

They  tarried  together  for  some  time  longer,  and 
then  left  for  their  respective  homes,  each  wondering 
at  the  strange  turn  the  little  party  had  taken. 

The  evangelist  was  made  acquainted  with  the 
exact  state  of  things  at  Tonville  down  to  the  morn- 
ing of  the  first  day  of  his  labor.  The  committee 
from  time  to  time  had  cheered  his  heart  with  the 
promising  features  of  the  union  prayer-meeting. 
On  the  Monday  evening  of  his  arrival  at  the  village, 
like  Barnabas  at  Antioch,  "  when  he  saw  the  grace 
of  God  he  was  glad."  The  meeting  on  Tuesday 
morning  at  the  session-room  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  was  largely  attended.  The  man  of  God  had 
come  to  them  "  in  the  fullness  of  the  blessing  of 
the  gospel  of  peace."  His  countenance  beamed  withr 
love  and  an  assurance  of  victory.  His  words  were 
accompanied  with  power.  The  Scriptures  were  read, 
then  the  affecting  hymn  was  sung,  "Just  as  I  am, 
without  one  plea." 

He  then  engaged  in  a  most  earnest  supplicating 


292  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

prayer.  Others  followed.  There  was  an  ardent 
desire  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  a  pant- 
ing after  the  living  God,  a  holy  breathing  after 
divine  power.  There  were  humiliations,  secret  con- 
fessions, new  consecrations,  and  a  clinging  to  the 
cross.  At  half-past  ten  the  service  commenced  in 
the  audience-room,  where  a  large  congregation  had 
assembled.  The  hour  was  devoted  to  impressive 
remarks  on  the  third  chapter  in  the  book  of  Malachi. 
The  evangelist  gave  it  a  spiritual  meaning  through- 
out. "  Tithes  and  offerings"  had  to  be  brought  in. 
"  Brethren,"  said  he,  "  I  know  that  you  desire  a 
revival.  But  do  you  desire  it  above  every  thing  in 
the  universe?  Can  you  think  of  any  thing  that 
you  would  rather  have  than  a  revival  of  religion 
and  the  salvation  of  your  children  and  friends? 
Bring  yourselves  to  the  test.  Can  you  think  of  any 
sum  of  money  that  you  would  prefer  to  a  revival  ? 
Suppose  a  bag  of  gold  containing  ten  thousand 
dollars  was  placed  before  you,  with  the  positive 
assurance  that  you  could  choose  between  that  bag 
of  gold  and  a  glorious  revival  of  God's  work  in 
Tonville.  Could  you  get  but  one,  which  would  you 
take?"  Just  then,  under  the  burning  words  of  the 
evangelist,  the  secret  response  of  all  the  members 
present  seemed  to  be,  "  Lord,  give  us  the  revival !  " 
He  spoke  for  an  hour,  while  bosoms  heaved,  hearts 
throbbed,  and  eyes  wept. 

In  the  afternoon  he  preached  from  these  words: 
"  Old  things  have  passed  away."  He  showed  the 
radical  change  which  genuine  conversion  produced. 
The  picture  which  he  drew  of  those  church  mem- 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  293 

bers  whose  sole  delight  was  in  worldly  pleasures 
was  terribly  graphic,  while  scores  in  the  audience  as 
in  a  mirror  beheld  their  own  images.  "  In  these 
meetings,"  said  the  speaker,  "  before  we  can  have 
confidence  to  approach  the  sinner  we  must  redeem 
the  members  of  our  churches  from  the  corrupting 
influence  of  unholy  amusements.  My  brethren  here 
in  the  ministry  on  last  Sabbath  opened  fire  all  along 
the  line,  and  already  the  breastworks  of  the  enemy 
are  giving  way.  Some  who  were  '  at  ease  in  Zion' 
are  waking  up  to  a  sense  of  their  duty,  and  when 
church  prodigals  shall  return  then  sinners  will  be 
converted  to  God.  I  am  glad  to  witness  indications 
that  already  there  are  those  who  are  in  haste  to 
confess  their  wanderings." 

When  this  most  impressive  sermon  closed  a  hymn 
was  sung  with  a  will  by  the  large  audience,  and 
the  evangelist  said  that  there  would  now  be  an  ex- 
perience meeting,  especially  for  those  in  the  church 
who  were  willing  to  confess  their  departure  from 
God  and  renew  their  consecration. 

In  an  instant  Mrs.  Armitage  was  on  her  feet. 
"  For  many  years,  as  you  well  know,  I  have  been  a 
member  of  this  church,  but  in  my  outward  life  I 
have  been  on  a  level  with  the  world.  I  have  had 
no  taste  for  spiritual  things.  I  have  neglected 
prayer-meetings  and  patronized  dances  and  theaters. 
I  have  set  a  bad  example  before  my  children ;  I 
have  grieved  my  husband  ;  I  have  caused  sorrow  to 
my  pastor  and  the  church.  I  ask  forgiveness. 
'  Show  pity,  Lord  !  O  Lord,  forgive  !' ' 

No  sooner  had  Mrs.  Armitage  sat  down  than  the 


294  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

voice  of  Mrs.  Dunbar  was  heard,  and  it  sent  a  thrill 
through  the  vast  assembly.  "  Last  Saturday,  if 
some  one  had  told  me  that  on  Tuesday  afternoon  I 
would  be  found  in  the  Presbyterian  church  making 
confessions  and  asking  forgiveness,  I  would  have 
indignantly  laughed  him  to  scorn.  I  am  a  member 
of  another  communion.  I  prided  myself  on  my 
church  relation  and  led  a  life  of  gayety.  I  was 
prominent  in  fashionable  dances  and  I  attended 
theaters.  I  had  no  taste  for  devotion.  Last  Sab- 
bath afternoon,  while  listening  in  perfect  astonish- 
ment to  the  religious  views  of  my  own  daughter, 
who  is  not  a  church  member,  my  blind  eyes  were 
opened  to  see  my  awful  condition.  I  trust  that  I 
have  found  forgiveness  of  the  Lord,  and  I  feel  that 
I  am  indeed  '  a  new  creature.'  My  bigotry  is  all 
gone.  To  me  you  are  all  members  of  the  one  great 
Church  of  God,  and  I  now  look  upon  these  minis- 
ters as  the  regularly  ordained  embassadors  of  the 
King  of  kings." 

These  words,  from  such  a  source,  produced  a 
wonderful  effect.  Tears  freely  flowed,  while  the 
sanctuary  was  filled  with  the  divine  presence.  Then 
followed  testimonies  of  the  same  nature  from  Fred 
Chattam,  Emma  Thornton,  and  many  others  from 
all  the  churches,  until  it  was  time  to  close  the 
meeting. 

"There  may  be  those  .here,"  said  Mr.  E.,  "that 
feel  their  need  of  a  Saviour  and  a  spiritual  home, 
who  have  hitherto  stood  aloof  from  membership  in 
the  Church  of  Christ.  If  there  are  any  such  let 
them  stand  up." 


TJie  Great  Revival  at   Tonville,  295 

Colonel  Dunbar  and  his  daughter  rose  to  their 
feet,  and  so  did  George  Armitage  and  his  sister 
Grace,  together  with  half  a  dozen  others. 

The  evening  meeting  was  very  full,  while  the 
ministry  was  quick  and  powerful,  and  there  was  a 
large  number  of  anxious  seekers  bowing  at  the 
mercy-seat. 


CHAPTER    IV. 
THE  "RETREAT"  LOSES  A  CUSTOMER. 

TT  seems  to  me  like  an  utter  impossibility,"  said 

J_  Mrs.  Brougham,  who  had  called  upon  her 
friend,  Mrs.  Major  Pugh.  "  I  never  heard  of  any 
thing  so  ridiculous  in  all  my  life.  I  will  not  be- 
lieve it !  There  is  some  great  mistake  somewhere. 
Mrs.  Colonel  Dunbar  would  never  so  disgrace  her- 
self or  the  church  to  which  she  belongs.  Dear  me  ! 
what  are  we  coming  to,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  A 
member  of  the  Church  making  confessions  in  a 
Presbyterian  meeting-house!  The  woman  must 
have  lost  her  senses." 

"  Please  drop  in  for  a  few  minutes  on  your  return, 
Mrs.  Brougham,"  said  Mrs.  Pugh,  with  a  smile, 
"  and  give  me  your  opinion  in  regard  to  Mrs.  Dun- 
bar's  mental  condition." 

"  I  will  surely  do  that,"  said  Mrs.  Brougham  ;  and 
she  left  for  the  fine  mansion  of  her  erring  sister. 

Mrs.  Dunbar  was  at  home  and  alone.  Mrs. 
Brougham  was  received  with  great  cordiality  and 


296  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

prevailed  upon  to  remove  her  wraps.  The  visitor 
was  ill  at  ease.  She  had  dreaded  the  interview,  and 
feeling  that  the  sooner  the  subject  was  introduced 
the  better,  she  Ame  to  the  conclusion  to  begin  at 
once. 

"  Mrs.  Dunbar,"  she  said,  "  I  have  heard  that  you 
attended  what  they  call  a  'revival  meeting'  at  the 
Presbyterian  meeting-house  yesterday,  and  that  you 
there  made  humble  confessions.  I  can  hardly  believe 
such  a  report  unless  I  hear  it  from  your  own  lips." 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Brougham,"  said  Mrs.  Dunbar, 
with  a  calm  smile,  "  I  know  exactly  how  it  must 
have  shocked  your  sense  of  propriety,  and  yet  you 
have  heard  nothing  but  the  exact  truth." 

"  Your  life  has  been  all  correct,"  said  Mrs- 
Brougham,  "  and  for  Mrs.  Colonel  Dunbar,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  only  church  in  the  place,  to  go  to  a  revival 
meeting  of  the  sects  and  there  make  confessions  is, 
I  really  believe,  a  disgrace  to  herself  as  well  as  to 
the  Church." 

"  Mrs.  Brougham,"  was  the  answer,  "  I  know  Mrs. 
Colonel  Dunbar  better  than  does  any  person  in 
Tonville,  and  I  know  that  her  behavior  as  a  member 
of  the  church  has  been  a  disgrace  to  the  cause  of 
Christ.  Let  me  give  you  a  brief  sketch  of  this 
lady's  life,  and  I  will  do  her  no  injustice."  She 
then,  in  her  most  graphic  manner,  went  over  her 
history  from  the  days  of  her  youth  to  that  mo- 
ment, including  the  interview  in  the  parlor  on  Sab- 
bath afternoon,  while  Mrs.  Brougham  listened  in 
utter  astonishment.  In  closing,  Mrs.  Dunbar  re- 
marked, "  There  is  for  you  a  brief  history  of  Mrs. 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonvillc.  297 

Colonel  Dunbar,  without  a  single  element  of  genu- 
ine Christian  character ;  a  '  lover  of  pleasure  more 
than  a  lover  of  God.'  I  have  humbled  myself  be- 
fore the  Lord  in  deep  penitence,  and  he  has  poured 
into  my  heart  the  balm  of  consolation.  I  am  very 
happy.  I  now  '  renounce  the  devil  and  all  his 
works,  the  vain  pomp  and  vanity  of  the  world.'  I 
will  endeavor  to  '  keep  God's  holy  will  and  command- 
ments, and  walk  in  the  same  all  the  days  of  my 
life.' " 

At  the  close  Mrs.  Brougham  was  deeply  affected, 
but  not  demonstrative.  Her  words  were  few,  and 
she  seemed  to  be  in  deep  reflection.  When  about 
to  leave  she  said  :  "  Mrs.  Dunbar,  I  am  glad  that  I 
came  here.  I  have  had  some  wonderful  revelations. 
I  hardly  know  what  to  think  of  them.  I  will  can- 
didly consider  them  over  and  see  you  again.  If 
your  views  are  correct  in  regard  to  yourself  it  leaves 
me  in  a  sad  condition.  I  feel  a  heaviness  resting 
upon  me,  and  I  must  hurry  home."  They  kissed 
each  other  and  Mrs.  Brougham  left. 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Major  Pugh,  "you  have  kept 
your  promise.  Now  let  me  hear  your  opinion  in 
regard  to  Mrs.  Dunbar's  mental  condition.  Is  she 
really  insane  ?  " 

"  Don't  let  us  talk  any  more  nonsense,  my  dear," 
said  Mrs.  Brougham  ;  "  I  never  saw  her  appear  more 
lovely  or  heard  her  conversing  more  intelligently. 
She  has  met  with  a  most  wonderful  change,  and  that 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Mary.  Now,  if  all 
this  is  so,  what  must  /think  of  myself?  I  must  go 
home  and  think  this  matter  over.  Mrs.  Dunbar  is 


298  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

very  happy  and  I  am  very  miserable."  And  Mrs. 
Brougham  burst  into  tears. 

"  Only  commit  your  ways  to  the  Lord/'  said  Mrs. 
Pugh,  who  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Baptist 
church,  "  and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  you  will  soon 
be  as  happy  as  Mrs.  Colonel  Dunbar." 

Mrs.  Brougham,  with  feelings  that  she  could  not 
well  explain,  left  for  her  fine  mansion. 


The  "  Retreat  "  was  one  of  Tonville's  fashionable 
saloons,  duly  licensed  to  sell  ales,  wines,  and  spirit- 
uous liquors.  This  ornamented  den  was  owned 
and  kept  by  one  Nicholas  Tracy,  whose  Christian 
name  was  usually  reduced  to  smaller  dimensions 
and  pronounced  "  Nick."  He  had  been  brought  up 
on  a  farm  about  two  miles  out  of  the  village.  His 
mother  died  when  he  was  quite  young.  He  was  an 
only  child,  and  his  morals  were  very  far  from  being 
worthy  of  imitation.  He  married  while  young  and 
brought  his  bride  to  his  father's  house.  In  about 

o 

two  years  after  this  his  father  died,  and  a  very  hand- 
some property  fell  into  his  possession.  The  village 
saloon  had  much  more  attraction  for  him  than  had 
his  good  farm,  and,  contrary  to  his  wife's  wishes,  he 
exchanged  it  for  some  village  property  including  a 
fine  residence  and  the  adjoining  "  Retreat."  The 
saloon  was  soon  rebuilt  on  a  fashionable  scale,  and 
was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  village.  Tracy  had 
become  fleshy,  and  presented  all  the  features  of  a 
hard  drinker.  He  was  coarse  and  vulgar,  and 
prided  himself  on  the  slang  phrases  with  which  he 
ridiculed  the  churches. 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.  299 

It  was  on  Wednesday  afternoon,  and  there  were 
sitting  in  the  bar-room  of  Tracy's  saloon  four  young 
men  finely  dressed  and  fair  in  their  personal  appear- 
ance. It  was  evident  that  they  were  in  the  habit 
of  drinking,  but  as  yet  they  had  not  become  indif- 
ferent to  their  costumes.  John  Delancy  was  about 
twenty-six  years  of  age.  His  father,  a  successful 
merchant,  had  died,  leaving  the  business  to  his  son. 
This  young  Delancy  still  carried  on,  but  spent 
much  of  his  time  at  the  Retreat,  trusting  the  trade 
to  his  clerks.  He  had  a  mother  and  a  sister,  with 
whom  he  stayed.  The  others  present  at  this  time 
were  John  Dexter,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Tracy,  William 
Thompson,  a  son  of  a  wealthy  tanner,  and  Thomas 
Brown,  the  son  of  a  rich  brewer. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  Tracy,  leaning  on  the  bar  from 
the  inside,  giving  a  fine  exhibition  of  costly  rings 
and  expensive  sleeve-buttons,  "  they  say  that  the 
religious  circus  at  the  Presbyterian  church  opened 
finely  yesterday  and  last  night.  I  once  thought  it 
wasn't  going  to  be  much  of  a  show,  but  I  hear  they 
have  a  rush.  There  are  three  home  clowns,  and  one 
imported,  for  whose  services  they  must  shell  out  a 
big  sum.  The  small  performers  are  numerous,  and 
they  say  George  Armitage  has  entered  the  ring." 

To  this  there  was  a  loud  "ha,  ha!"  from  Dexter 
and  Brown,  while  Delancy  looked  indignant  and 
Thompson  rather  serious. 

"To  me  it  is  no  great  wonder  that  they  have 
roped  in  George,"  continued  Tracy.  "  I  never 
thought  much  of  him  anyway.  He  has  no  inde- 
pendence. He  is  too  much  under  the  old  man's 


300  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

thumb.  I  trade  with  him  some,  but  he  never  darkens 
my  saloon-door." 

"  It  may  be  possible  that  Armitage  has  no  par- 
ticular fancy  for  the  articles  you  keep  for  sale,"  said 
Delancy. 

"  But  why  can't  he  come  in  and  take  a  social  glass 
like  the  rest  of  you  ?  "  asked  "  Nick,"  elevating  his 
voice  and  looking  exceedingly  spiteful.  "  Answer 
me  that,  John  Delancy." 

"  Perhaps  I  cannot  tell  you  all  the  whys,"  said 
Delancy,  "  but  I  think  I  can  furnish  you  with  a  few. 
In  the  first  place,  he  thinks  that  the  practice  of 
drinking  is  wrong,  and  very  dangerous.  Again, 
the  class  that  visit  your  saloon  do  not  compose  the 
society  in  which  he  desires  to  mingle.  Again,  he 
possesses  a  large  share  of  good  sound  sense,  and  that 
is  in  the  way.  Again,  if  he  should  visit  this  saloon  he 
would  lose  the  respect  of  the  best  citizens  of  our 
village.  Do  you  want  another  why?" 

"  Yes,  go  on  and  finish  your  speech  as  long  as 
you  are  about  it,"  said  Nick,  looking  angry. 

"  And  lastly,"  said  Delancy,  looking  the  saloon- 
keeper in  the  eye,  "  Armitage  has  no  respect  for 
Nick  Tracy.  He  looks  upon  him  as  a  low,  swear- 
ing, vulgar  fellow,  fearing  not  God  nor  regarding 
man." 

"  Delancy,"  said  Tracy,  with  quivering  lips,  and 
paleness  which  forced  itself  to  the  surface  of  his 
bloated  face,  "  I  rather  suspect  that  under  a  pre- 
tense of  speaking  for  George  you  have  been  piling 
up  your  own  opinions." 

"  You  have  rightly  judged,"  said  Delancy.     "  The 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  301 

language  you  have  used  in  regard  to  the  religious 
meeting  at  the  Presbyterian  church,  conducted  by 
persons  of  the  highest  respectability,  stamps  you  as 
a  low,  vulgar  wretch,  and  I  so  pronounce  you.  I 
have  a  mother  and  a  sister  who  are  deeply  interested 
in  those  meetings,  and  they  must  not  be  insulted  in 
my  presence." 

"  Neither  am  I  to  be  insulted  !  "  said  Tracy,  in  a 
loud,  angry  tone.  "  I  don't  want  you  here,  so  I 
would  advise  you  to  join  the  howling  at  the  Pres- 
byterian church." 

"The  only  good  advice  I  ever  heard  from  your 
lips,  and  I  will  take  it  under  my  serious  considera- 
tion," said  Delancy,  as  he  rose.  "  Whether  I  shall 
seek  a  place  among  Christians  or  not,  I  will  never 
trouble  you  again." 

"  Perhaps  I  was  a  little  rough  on  the  church  peo- 
ple," said  Tracy.  "  I  call  it  back.  Come,  boys,  let 
us  all  drink  at  my  expense  ; "  and  he  put  five  glasses 
on  the  bar. 

"  No  more  drink  for  me! "  said  Delancy;  and  he 
left  the  saloon. 

There  was  much  talk  after  Delancy's  departure, 
and  Thompson  quietly  slipped  away. 

On  this  day  John  Delancy  was  perfectly  sober. 
Nothing  of  an  intoxicating  nature  had  touched  his 

o  o 

lips.  After  leaving  the  saloon  he  slowly  walked  out 
of  the  village  so  as  to  have  time  and  place  for  reflec- 
tion ;  and  thus  he  mused  :  "  For  years  I  have  poured 
my  money  into  the  polluted  treasury  of  that  vulgar 
wretch  !  And  worse  than  that ;  I  have  measurably 
wrecked  my  noble  manhood  and  caused  grief  to 


302  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

the  best  of  mothers  and  the  most  loving  of  sis- 
ters. I  have  left  Nick's  Retreat  forever!  Shall  I 
seek  another  saloon,  or  abandon  them  all  ?  O  my 
God  !  I  almost  hear  the  voice  of  my  sainted  father 
crying  from  the  skies,  '  John,  abandon  them  all  and 
take  the  pledge  ! '  Father,  I'll  do  it !  In  the  name 
of  God  I'll  do  it  /  " 

Dr.  Spicer  was  in  his  study,  and  in  a  very  happy 
state  of  mind  as  he  thought  over  the  wonderful 
things  already  accomplished  in  connection  with  the 
revival  services.  "This  is  the  Lord's  doing,"  said 
he,  "and  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes. "  His  wife 
came  in  and  informed  him  that  John  Delancy  was 
below  and  wished  to  see  him  on  particular  business. 

The  doctor  went  down,  met  the  young  man  with 
a  smile,  and  conducted  him  to  his  study. 

"Doctor,"  said  Delancy,  without  any  hesitation, 
"  I  ask  of  you  as  a  favor  to  write  out  a  strong  total 
abstinence  pledge,  which  I  will  sign  in  your  presence 
relying  on  God  for  help  to  keep  it  as  long  as  I  live. 
I  am  perfectly  sober.  I  have  not  touched  a  drop 
of  liquor  this  day.  I  have  neglected  my  business, 
grieved  my  mother,  afflicted  my  sister,  and  measur- 
ably destroyed  my  moral  and  intellectual  powers. 
I  think  there  is  in  me  yet  a  remnant  that  is  worth 
saving.  Now,  please  write  the  pledge,  and  let  it  be 
strong  and  thorough." 

The  doctor  took  the  young  man  by  the  hand  and 
with  tears  of  joy  in  his  eyes  said,  "  John,  since  yes- 
terday afternoon  you  have  been  remembered  in  our 
prayers,  and  we  accept  this  as  the  work  of  the  Holy 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  303 

Ghost  in  answer  to  our  humble  petitions.  Here  is 
a  temperance  pledge,  John." 

"  No,"  said  the  young  man  ;  "  I  would  rather  have 
it  in  your  own  hand-writing.  It  will  seem  stronger." 

The  pledge  was  written.  It  was  as  strong  as  lan- 
guage could  render  it.  John  took  the  pen,  and,  after 
carefully  reading  the  paper,  he  wrote  his  name  in  a 
large,  clear,  beautiful  hand. 

"  Dr.  Spicer,"  said  he,  "  it  is  done!  My  fetters 
are  broken  and  I  am  free  !  But  I  am  not  a  Christian. 
My  mother  and  Jennie  are  Christians,  and  I  believe 
in  the  power  of  prayer.  Now,  I  will  kneel  down 
right  here  while  you  pray  the  Lord  to  keep  me  from 
breaking  the  pledge." 

They  knelt.  They  prayed  ;  and  there  was  joy  in 
the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God.  The  young  man 
promised  to  attend  the  meetings,  and  left. 

In  about  fifteen  minutes  after  the  departure  of 
John,  his  sister  Jennie  called  and  asked  Mrs.  Spicer 
to  call  her  husband  and  accompany  him  to  the  par- 
lor, where  she  wished  to  speak  to  them  both  in 
regard  to  her  brother.  Mrs.  Spicer  slightly  smiled, 
but  the  young  lady  did  not  notice  it.  The  pastor 
and  his  wife  were  soon  in  the  parlor. 

"  My  dear  pastor!  "  cried  the  young  woman,  "  I 
have  been  so  distressed  all  day  on  account  of  my 
dear  brother  that  I  could  no  longer  stay  in  the 
house.  In  many  respects  he  is  an  excellent  young 
man,  but  for  a  long  time  he  has  been  gradually  glid- 
ing into  a  drinking  habit,  and  I  am  afraid  it  will 
prove  his  ruin.  He  is  often  found  at  Tracy's  den,  in 
company  with  low  characters,  and  I  think  he  is  there 


304  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

now.  Dr.  Spicer,  John  has  great  confidence  in  you, 
and  he  never  mentions  your  name  but  with  great 
respect.  I  came  here  to  beg  of  you  to  seek  a  per- 
sonal interview  with  him  and  try  to  persuade  him 
to  give  up  his  tippling." 

"  Jennie,  your  request  is  a  very  reasonableone/'said 
the  doctor.  "  In  the  meanwhile  remember  him  at  the 
throne  of  grace,  and  God  will  answer  your  prayers. 
For  your  encouragement  I  will  say  that  not  over  half 
an  hour  ago  a  young  man  of  this  town  who  has  been 
in  the  habit  of  drinking  came  voluntarily  into  my 
study  and  under  deep  feeling  asked  me  to  write  for 
him  the  strongest  temperance  pledge  that  I  possibly 
could.  He  was  perfectly  sober.  I  wrote  it  and  he 
signed  it.  He  then  kneeled  down  and  asked  me  to 
pray  with  him." 

"  O,  I  would  give  all  the  world,  if  I  had  it,  if  my 
dear  John  would  only  do  the  same!  "  cried  Jennie. 
"  Perhaps  it  would  not  be  right  for  you  to  tell  me 
who  that  young  man  is." 

"  Perfectly  right,  Jennie,"  said  the  doctor.  "  I 
think  you  are  acquainted  with  him.  Here  is  the 
pledge,  and  you  can  read  it." 

She  glanced  at  the  familiar  signature,  and  with 
joyful  sobbing  fell  on  her  knees  and  bowed  her  head 
on  Mrs.  Spicer 's  lap.  "  I  thank  thee,  O  Father,"  she 
cried,  "  for  answering  the  prayers  of  thy  children  in 
behalf  of  my  erring  brother!" 

"  John  is  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  Heaven, 
my  dear,"  said  the  minister's  wife,-  fondly  kissing 
her  young  sister,  who  was  one  of  the  most  devoted 
and  spiritual  in  the  church. 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.  305 

Miss  Delancy  went  home,  told  her  mother  the 
glad  news,  and  together  they  wept  for  joy. 

When  John  came  from  the  store  to  supper  the 
mother  and  daughter  could  not  keep  back.  It  was 
the  most  happy  hour  they  had  experienced  in  many 
a  day. 

'•Yes,  Jennie,"  said  John,  "to-night  I  will  gladly 
go  with  you  to  meeting." 


CHAPTER   V. 
AN  ANGRY  MISS  AND  A  WORD  FROM  ENGLAND. 

MISS  EDITH  WINTHROP  was  an  ardent 
worshiper  at  the  shrine  of  worldly  pleasure. 
Encouraged  by  her  wealthy  parents  her  mind  was 
greatly  taken  up  with  the  fashionable  amusements 
of  the  day.  The  family  attended  the  Episcopal 
church,  but  were  not  communicants.  For  Mary 
Dunbar,  until  her  recent  change,  she  had  enter- 
tained much  respect,  although  she  had  been  often 
displeased  with  the  banker's  daughter's  seeming 
lack  of  interest  in  those  gayeties  which  so  absorbed 
her  own  mind.  In  regard  to  religious  doctrines  she 
had  no  settled  views.  Indeed,  there  lurked  in  her 
heart  a  great  deal  of  infidelity.  Those  points  in 
theology  that  seemed  to  her  distasteful  she  threw 
aside,  and  accepted  only  those  features  that  did  not 
particularly  interfere  with  her  worldly  taste.  She 
was  brilliant  and  attractive,  amiable  in  her  smiles 

and  sarcastic  in  her  frowns.     She  was  respected  for 
20 


306  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

her  position  in  society.  She  was  feared  on  account 
of  her  eloquent  severity.  But  to  no  one  outside  of 
the  circle  of  her  relatives  was  Edith  Winthrop  an 
object  of  intense  affection.  The  revival  she  detested 
with  all  the  warmth  of  her  strong  nature,  and  what 
she  heard  of  it  from  day  to  day  filled  her  proud 
heart  with  indignation.  Such  was  the  young  lady 
to  whom  Mary  Dunbar,  in  Mr.  Winthrop's  parlor, 
under  a  deep  sense  of  duty,  introduced  the  subject 
of  personal  religion. 

"  Mary,  your  anxiety  for  me  is  entirely  uncalled 
for,"  said  Miss  Edith,  with  a  smile  meant  for  re- 
proof, "and,  at  the  hazard  of  offending  you,  I  must 
say  that  it  borders  closely  on  the  ludicrous." 

"  Edith,"  said  Mary,  wholly  undisturbed,  "  I  thor- 
oughly weighed  this  matter  before  I  started  from 
home.  I  knew  that  in  all  probability  you  would 
not  relish  the  subject,  and  that  you  would  manifest 
your  disapprobation  in  strong  terms.  For  all  this 
I  am  fully  prepared,  and  let  no  fear  of  offending 
me  interfere  with  your  freedom  of  speech.  I  think 
I  am  in  a  frame  of  mind  that  is  not  to  be  easily 
disturbed." 

"That  is  exceedingly  fortur.ate,"  said  Miss  Win- 
throp, "  for  I  am  bound  to  use  language  that  may 
be  called  severe.  While  I  can  laugh  at  the  foolish- 
ness of  your  errand  I  am  still  glad  to  meet  you,  for 
it  gives  me  an  excellent  opportunity  to  let  you 
know  how  utterly  I  detest  these  religious  antics  in 
our  village  that  are  called  a  '  revival.'  A  revival  it 

o 

is,  sure  enough  !     A  revival  of  confusion,  disturb- 
ance, animal  excitement,  and  fanaticism.     If  this 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  307 

were  confined  to  that  class  that  has  been  credulous 
and  superstitious  it  would  not  be  so  bad.  But  it  is 
forcing  itself  into  genteel  society  and  aristocratic 
circles.  Our  best  families  are  being  drawn  into  it, 
and  it  looks  as  if  the  whole  village  were  under  the 
influence  of  this  moral  mania.  Wherever  I  go  this 
is  talked  of.  The  topic  commands  respect  in  quarters 
where  it  ought  to  be  despised  ;  and  here  is  one  of 
our  own  set  transformed  into  a  home  missionary  in 
the  interest  of  religious  fanatics,  while  her  father 
and  mother,  and  a  score  of  others  who  have  moved 
in  the  most  cultivated  circles,  are  regular  attendants 
at  this  excitable  gathering  !  I  am  indignant."  And 
Miss  Winthrop  ended  her  paragraph. 

"  Edith,"  said  Mary,  "  with  your  present  mode  of 
living  do  you  feel  as  if  you  were  prepared  to  die 
and  meet  your  God  in  peace?" 

"  Upon  my  word,"  said  the  lady,  in  a  gay,  sneer- 
ing tone,  "  you  seem  to  be  splendidly  adapted  for 
your  mission  !  A  Methodist  minister  could  not  have 
put  the  question  in  better  form  or  with  purer  in- 
tonations. I  am  very  well  satisfied  with  my  mode 
of  living,  and  the  God  I  expect  to  meet  is  not  that 
angry  being  that  you  hear  about  in  these  revival 
meetings." 

"  Or  that  we  read  of  in  the  Bible,"  said  Mary. 

"Yes,  you  may  have  it  so,  if  you  like,"  said 
Edith.  "  Any  thing  in  the  Bible  about  God  that 
sounds  to  me  as  unreasonable  I  cast  aside." 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  you  were  skeptical,"  said 
Mary.  '*!  really  wish  you  would  attend  these 
meetings." 


308  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

"  Your  wish  is  vain,"  was  the  answer.  "  I  detest 
the  very  thought  of  them.  I  can  hardly  respect 
those  that  speak  well  of  such  excitable  demonstra- 
tions. They  have  broken  up  our  set,  and  it  looks 
now  as  if  we  could  not  get  enough  together  to  form 
a  respectable  dance.  To  the  utmost  of  my  ability 
I  have  labored  to  keep  our  young  people  away 
from  these  meetings,  and  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  win 
back  those  that  have  been  stolen  from  us.  In  a 
great  measure  I  hold  Mr.  Latimer  responsible  for 
the  havoc  this  thing  has  made  in  his  own  church. 
His  sermon,  lately  delivered,  gave  it  encouragement. 
By  this  time  perhaps  he  sees  his  mistake." 

"I  can  assure  you,  Edith,"  said  Mary,  "that  no 
one  in  Tonville  rejoices  more  over  this  revival  than 
does  Mr.  Latimer." 

"  Then  I  say  he  disgraces  his  calling,  and  should 
not  be  permitted  to  preach  in  an  Episcopal  pulpit," 
was  the  reply.  "  He  is  eloquent  enough,  and  often 
too  much  so ;  but  he  is  altogether  too  religious  to 
suit  polite  circles.  In  the  church  service  such  sen- 
tences are  all  right,  but  to  thrust  them  on  people  in 
the  parlor  is  not  in  good  taste.  He  is  not  a  bit 
like  dear  Mr.  Smoothly.  '  Rejoices  over  the  revival,' 
does  he?  Ha,  ha!  Now  that  wrich!  His  rejoic- 
ing will  turn  to  something  else  when  he  sees  the 
members  of  his  flock  joining  the  three  sects." 

"  I  am  very  confident,"  said  Mary,  "that  no  one 
will  leave  St.  Mark's.  I  think  also  that  a  number 
that  have  embraced  religion  at  these  meetings  will 
seek  their  spiritual  home  in  our  church."  • 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  St.  Mark's,"  said  Miss 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  309 

Winthrop,  with  a  sneer.  "  A  nice  lot  of  Episcopa- 
lians they  would  make  !  No,  I  say.  Let  them  go 
to  where  they  legitimately  belong.  I  don't  fancy 
the  shop  in  which  they  have  been  manufactured." 

"  Edith,"  said  Mary,  "  1  find  you  in  a  more  dis- 
agreeable mood  than  I  expected.  I  think  it  will  not 
be  wise  for  me  to  remain  here  any  longer.  I  hope 
to  see  you  again  when  you  will  be  more  favorably 
disposed  toward  your  friends  than  you  are  to-day. 
I  am  deeply  interested  in  your  spiritual  welfare.  I 
will  remember  you  in  my  prayers." 

"  That  you  may  do,  and  welcome,  if  it  will  give 
you  any  satisfaction,  as  long  as  you  confine  your 
prayers  to  your  own  room,"  said  Edith ;  "  but  let 
no  prayer,  private  or  public,  be  offered  for  me  at 
those  meetings.  In  regard  to  seeing  me  again  on 
this  subject,  please  let  that  be  postponed  until  I 
send  you  a  special  request." 

"  It  shall  be  even  so,  Edith,"  said  Mary,  and  she 
left  for  home  with  a  heavy  heart. 

The  revival  had  gone  on  with  increasing  interest 
and  power  from  the  very  first.  The  women  of  the 
Church,  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  and  with  genuine 
Christian  modesty,  had  accomplished  a  mighty  work 
by  their  personal  interviews  with  those  who  had  not 
embraced  religion.  Saloons  were  abandoned,  dances 
proved  failures,  and  the  academy  for  dancing  was 
well-nigh  deserted.  There  was  a  solemnity  over 
the  whole  village.  Thompson  had  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  Delancy  and  had  signed  the  pledge,  while 
both  had  embraced  religion.  Emma  Thornton  was 
thoroughly  restored  from  her  wanderings.  Fred 


310  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

Chattam  was  fully  engaged  in  the  work  and  had 
much  influence  among  the  young  people,  and  Julia 
had  found  "the  pearl  of  great  price."  The  youths 
by  the  score  had  bowed  at  the  altar  of  prayer.  The 
windows  of  heaven  were  opened  and  blessings  were 
poured  forth  in  abundance.  Tonville  was  flooded 
by  divine  influences.  Among  ministers  and  mem- 
bers there  was  complete  harmony,  and  nothing  of 
an  unpleasant  nature  had  transpired  during  the 
services. 

The  closing  exercises  of  the  protracted  meeting 
were  in  the  afternoon,  and  were  confined  chiefly  to 
experience.  The  testimonies  were  very  striking  and 
numerous.  The  most  affecting  was  that  of  Thomas 
England,  who  for  many  years  had  been  a  slave  to 
intemperance.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  native  tal- 
ent and  much  acquired  ability.  The  reader  will 
better  know  his  history  from  his  own  testimony,  de- 
livered before  an  audience  of  eight  hundred  people. 
He  had  come  forward  at  an  early  stage  of  the  meet- 
ing with  deep  penitence,  and  his  conversion  was 
clear  and  positive.  Hitherto  he  had  said  but  little. 
Now  the  time  had  come  when  the  redeemed  man 
considered  it  his  duty  to  declare  publicly  what 
Christ  had  done  for  him.  He  rose  and  in  a  clear 
voice  said  : 

"  I  feel  more  like  shrinking  from  publicity  and 
hiding  my  head  in  shame  than  to  stand  before  you 
and  speak.  Here  you  see  the  wreck  of  one  who  was 
once  considered  a  respectable  member  of  society 
and  a  worthy  citizen  of  Tonville.  Under  the  con- 
viction that  possibly  I  yma  say  a  word  that  will 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonville.         -  3 1 1 

magnify  the  grace  of  God,  that  has  saved  a  poor 
guilty  wretch,  I  take  up  my  cross.  To  many 
of  you  the  history  of  Tom  England  is  well 
known.  I  was  well  brought  up,  liberally  educated, 
and  was  graduated  with  honor.  I  studied  law 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Twenty-five  years 
ago  I  came  to  Tonville  with  a  fair  young  wife 
and  a  bright  little  boy  two  years  old — our  little 
Charlie."  [Here  the  speaker's  emotions  almost 
mastered  him.]  "  I  had  some  means ;  I  bought 
a  house  and  office  and  became  established  as  a  law- 
yer. I  secured  a  flattering  reputation  in  my  profes- 
sion, and  I  had  a  large  practice.  Early  in  life  I 
formed  the  habit  of  drinking,  but  for  some  years, 
by  an  effort,  I  so  conducted  myself  as  to  be  called 
a  moderate  drinker ;  but  the  habit  grew  upon  me. 
I  neglected  my  business,  wronged  my  clients,  and 
finally  I  was  pronounced  a  drunkard.  About  ten 
years  ago  my  wife,  who  had  faithfully  stood  by  me 
notwithstanding  my  degradation  and  the  abuse  she 
often  suffered  when  I  was  maddened  by  rum,  sick- 
ened and  died.  This  left  me  alone  with  Charlie  and 
a  sister  of  mine,  who  took  charge  of  my  sick  wife. 
After  this  I  became  worse  than  ever,  and  when 
drunk  I  was  exceedingly  abusive,  even  to  my  boy, 
one  of  the  finest  lads  that  ever  breathed.  He 
would  bear  my  abuse  with  much  patience,  and  often, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  he  would  beg  of  me,  by  the 
memory  of  his  mother,  to  stop  drinking.  O  that 
noble  boy  !  Now,  saved  from  my  drunkenness  and 
partially  restored  to  my  right  mind,  I  appreciate  his 
worth  as  I  never  did  before,  and  it  almost  breaks 


312  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

my  heart  to  think  of  it.  One  day,  about  nine  years 
ago,  when  deeply  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  I 
violently  struck  that  precious  son,  who  never  gave 
me  an  unkind  word,  and  ordered  him  to  leave  my 
premises.  In  about  an  hour  after  I  struck  him  he 
came  to  me  calmly  and  said,  '  Father,  I  forgive 
you.  I  am  going.  Good-bye.'  I  have  never  seen 
him  since.  We  heard  that  he  went  to  sea,  and  we 
heard  also  that  his  ship  was  lost.  O  my  noble 
Charlie !  Well,  I  sank  deeper  and  deeper  in  degra- 
dation, and  for  years  I  have  been  wandering  about, 
doing  chores  around  taverns  to  pay  for  my  rum. 
By  the  earnest  entreaty  of  kind  ladies  of  this  vil- 
lage, who  did  not  despise  even  poor  Tom  England, 
I  was  persuaded  to  attend  these  meetings.  Amid 
all  my  moral  pollution  I  was  not  an  infidel,  and  the 
wonderful  words  of  that  man  of  God,  accompanied 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  reached  the  depth 
of  my  depraved  heart.  I  bowed  before  the  Lord  in 
an  agony  of  penitence,  and  he  has  forgiven  me  the 
iniquity  of  my  sins.  I  ask  the  forgiveness  of  all 
whom  I  have  wronged.  Charlie  with  his  parting 
breath  said  he  forgave  me.  O  how  I  would  fall 
on  his  neck  and  tell  him  how  sorry  I  am !  Dear 
Charlie !  I  hope  to  meet  him  in  heaven." 

Thomas  England  sat  down.  The  man,  the  cir- 
cumstances, and  the  undescribable  pathos  of  his 
remarks,  rendered  them  thrilling.  The  audience 
was  in  tears,  and  in  silence  for  a  few  moments  the 
people  gave  way  to  their  feelings.  Soon,  however, 
their  attention  was  called  to  a  well-dressed,  fine- 
looking  gentleman  of  youthful  appearance,  who  rose 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  313 

in  the  farthest  part  of  the  church  from  the  pulpit, 
left  his  pew,  slowly  walked  to  the  front  and  faced 
the  congregation.  Like  hundreds  of  others  he  was 
deeply  affected,  and  was  making  every  effort  to  mas- 
ter his  feelings.  Soon  he  spoke,  while  every  eye  was 
fastened  upon  him. 

"  Pardon  me  for  making  myself  thus  conspicuous. 
I  have  but  little  to  say,  but  that  little  I  want  you 
all  to  hear  and  understand.  That  is  the  reason  why 
I  have  chosen  this  spot.  I  am  a  stranger,  having 
just  arrived  in  this  village,  and,  learning  of  this  meet- 
ing, I  most  gladly  came  in.  My  feelings  are  won- 
derfully  affected  by  the  thrilling  remarks  of  the  gen- 
tleman that  spoke  last.  His  story  brought  vividly 
to  my  mind  the  scenes  of  other  days  and  years. 
My  father  also  through  strong  drink  fell  from  a 
respectable  position  to  the  depths  of  intemperance. 
My  dear  mother  died  chiefly  of  a  broken  heart,  and 
I  was  often  pointed  at  as  the  drunkard's  boy.  My 
father,  when  not  under  the  influence  of  the  cup,  was 
kind  and  affectionate,  and  he  loved  his  son,  but  when 
drunk  he  was  completely  changed.  After  the  death 
of  my  mother  I  ventured  into  the  wide  world.  I 
committed  my  ways  to  the  Lord  and  went  into  a 
foreign  land.  I  united  with  the  Church  of  Christ. 
I  found  favor  in  the  sight  of  the  people.  Prov- 
idence smiled  upon  me  wonderfully  and  I  procured 
abundance  of  the  things  of  the  present  life.  I  thought 
I  would  return  to  my  native  land  and  visit  the  scenes 
of  my  childhood.  This  is  the  most  happy  day  of 
my  life!" 

He   rushed  to  the   seat  where  England  sat  and 


3 14  Stories  of  Country  and  City, 

cried  in  a  loud  voice  :  "  Father  !  Charlie  has  come 
home  T'  He  fell  upon  his  parent's  neck  and  both 
wept  aloud.  The  scene  was  "  unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory." 

After  a  most  impressive  admonition  to  the  young 
converts  and  those  restored  from  their  backsliding, 
the  meeting  closed  with  singing  the  familiar  hymn : 

"  Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds 
Our  hearts  in  Christian  love." 

The  benediction  was  pronounced,  and  the  revival 
meeting  proper  was  at  an  end. 

About  two  hundred  and  fifty  professed  conver- 
sion. Besides  this  a  large  number  of  church  mem- 
bers had  been  saved  from  dead  formality  and 
brought  into  the  enjoyment  of  vital  godliness. 
Many  of  the  converts  were  from  distant  localities, 
and  these  united  with  the  churches  in  their  imme- 
diate vicinity.  In  the  village  seventy  united  with 
the  Presbyterians,  fifty  with  the  Baptists,  forty-five 
with  the  Methodists,  and  at  the  next  confirmation 
thirty-one  with  the  Episcopalians.  Among  these 
were  Colonel  Dunbar  and  his  daughter.  On  that 
occasion  St.  Mark's  was  crowded  and  the  interest 
was  intense. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
A  SEVERE  ORDEAL,  AND  HOW  IT  ENDED. 

VT1CHOLAS  TRACY  grew  more  blasphemous 
J[  \j  and  eloquent  in  his  curses  as  he  saw  himself 
abandoned  by  his  former  customers.  His  profanity 


The  Great  Revival  at  Tonvillc.  315 

was  so  terrible  as  to  almost  alarm  common  swearers. 
He  was  continually  under  the  influence  of  liquor, 
and  his  saloon  presented  a  neglected  appearance. 
Tracy  had  a  fast,  spirited  horse,  in  which  he  took 
great  pride,  and  with  which  he  often  took  careless 
liberties.  One  day,  while  quite  drunk,  he  ordered 
his  man  to  put  the  horse  before  the  cutter  and  bring 
it  out.  The  man  was  loth  to  obey,  but  in  order  to 
escape  a  volley  of  curses  he  complied.  The  fiery 
steed  was  soon  before  the  saloon-door. 

"  Nick,"  said  Dexter,  "  you  are  not  in  a  fit  condi- 
tion to-day  to  drive  that  horse." 

The  reply  was  angry  and  very  profane  ;  he  stepped 
into  the  cutter  and  off  he  went  at  a  fearful  rate. 

It  is  useless  to  dwell  on  particulars.  In  less  than 
a  half  hour  the  same  horse,  with  broken  harness  and 
without  a  cutter,  was  seen  trembling  with  fright  in 
front  of  the  saloon,  while  in  the  distance  a  crowd 
of  people  were  approaching  bearing  the  bleeding, 
dead  form  of  Nicholas  Tracy,  whose  profane  spirit 
had  passed  into  the  great  eternity. 

Deep  sorrow  pervaded  the  Winthrop  mansion. 
As  yet  the  dark  flag  of  death  did  not  wave  over 
the  imposing  structure,  but  one  of  its  inmates  was 
in  the  grasp  of  a  raging  fever  that  threatened  to 
prove  fatal.  On  a  bed  in  a  richly  furnished  and 
commodious  room,  with  a  flushed  countenance  and 
a  high  pulse  lay  Edith  Winthrop.  In  the  same 
apartment  stood  the  parents,  with  sad  countenances 
watching  the  heavy  breathings  and  constant  toss- 
ings  of  their  only  child.  The  doctor  sat  by  the  side 


316  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

of  the  bed  examining  the  pulse  of  the  sufferer  and 
evidently  calculating  the  chances. 

"  Well,  doctor,"  said  the  father,  in  a  deep,  earnest 
tone,  "can  you  give  us  one  encouraging  word?" 

"I  have  more  hopes  than  I  had  four  days  ago," 
said  Doctor  Sprague.  "  She  has  more  vitality  at 
this  hour  than  I  could  have  reasonably  expected 
under  the  circumstances.  The  fever  is  yet  high,  but 
I  think  it  will  turn  in  twenty-four  hours.  I  now 
have  strong  hopes  that  her  firm  constitution  will 
carry  her  safely  through." 

The  parents  wept  for  joy. 

"  O  Mary,  dear,  my  words  were  cruel  ?"  cried  the 
sick  one  in  feverish  delirium.  "  O  Mary,  will  you 
forgive  me?  I  was  very  wicked  !" 

"  Poor  child  !  She  is  dreadfully  troubled  about 
something  she  said  to  Mary  Dunbar,"  said  the 
mother. 

"  I  presume  it  is  the  result  of  a  dream,  Mrs.  Win- 
throp,"  said  the  doctor. 

"I  think  not,"  said  the  mother,  "  for  it  has 
troubled  her  for  two  weeks." 

"  I  take  it  all  back,  dear  Mary  !"  said  Edith  again. 
"  Mr.  Latimer  is  all  right.  O,  what  made  me  so 
wicked  ?  Mary,  put  your  hand  on  my  head  ! 
There!" 

Twenty-four  hours  soon  passed  away,  and  the 
doctor,  faithful  to  his  charge,  sat  again  by  the  side 
of  the  sick-bed.  The  fever  had  just  turned,  and 
the  sufferer,  much  exhausted,  seemed  to  fall  into  a 
sleep. 

"  We  have  arrived   at   a  critical  point,"  said  the 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  317 

doctor,  in  a  very  low  voice.  "  Miss  Winthrop  is 
very  weak,  but  1  trust  by  God's  blessing  she  will 
rally." 

Her  slumber  gradually  became  more  natural,  with 
a  slight  improvement  of  the  pulse. 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  inform  you,"  said  the 
physician  again,  "  that  your  daughter  is  saved.  I 
know  she  is  in  the  hands  of  the  very  best  of  nurses. 
In  the  course  of  an  hour  she  will  wake  up.  You 
may  speak  just  a  word  to  her  and  then  retire  to 
rejoice  together.  I  will  call  again  in  the  morning." 

The  sick  daughter  awoke  and  looked  about  in 
intelligent  astonishment.  In  a  weak  voice  she  asked, 
"  Miss  Williams,  what  is  the  matter?" 

"You  have  been  very  sick,  my  dear,  for  three 
weeks,"  said  the  nurse;  "the  fever  has  just  left  you. 
You  are  very  weak,  but  you  are  going  to  get  well. 
The  doctor  says  you  must  not  talk.  Take  this  med- 
icine, my  darling." 

The  parents  spoke  to  her  a  few  endearing  words 
and  left  for  another  part  of  the  house. 

In  about  ten  days  from  this  time,  when  Edith 
could  converse  without  embarrassment,  she  ex- 
pressed to  Miss  Williams  a  wish  to  see  her  mother 
alone  for  a  half  hour.  In  a  few  minutes  the  smiling 
mother  was  in  the  room,  and  Miss  Williams  left. 

"  Mamma,  dear,"  said  Edith,  "  in  my  fever  did  I 
mention  any  names?" 

"  Only  two,  my  darling,-*  said  the  mother.  "  You 
seemed  to  regret  that  you  had  not  used  Mary  Dun- 
bar  kindly,  and  you  appeared  to  be  troubled  in 
regard  to  what  you  had  said  about  Mr.  Latimer. 


318  Stories  of  Country  and  City. 

The  doctor  thought  that  your  words  were  but  the 
result  of  a  dream." 

"  The  doctor  was  mistaken,  mamma,"  said  Edith. 
"  I  was  greatly  troubled  in  regard  to  that  before  I 
was  taken  sick.  I  never  told  you,  and  you  knew 
nothing  about  it.  Mary  Dunbar,  the  dear  girl,  in 
all  the  sincerity  of  her  good,  pure  heart,  called  on 
me  one  day  with  the  intention  of  conversing  with 
me  on  the  subject  of  religion.  I  resented  it  with 
bitter  and  cruel  words,  and  spoke  of  their  religious 
meetings  in  the  most  contemptuous  language  I  could 
use.  I  also  spoke  unkindly  of  Mr.  Latimer.  I  was 
actually  angry.  She  bore  it  all  with  the  most  per- 
fect patience  and  said  she  hoped  to  see  me  again.  I 
told  her,  as  far  as  that  was  concerned,  that  she  had 
better  postpone  her  visit  until  I  should  send  her  a 
special  request.  '  It  shall  be  even  so,  Edith,'  she 
said,  and  went  away  with  a  heavy  heart.  Many 
weeks  ago  I  felt  deeply  condemned  in  view  of  the 
rough  treatment  one  of  the  best  girls  in  Tonville 
received  at  my  hand.  I  could  hardly  look  her  in 
the  face  as,  with  thirty  others,  she  stood  to  be  con- 
firmed, all  of  whom  were  brought  into  the  church 
by  means  of  that  revival  which  I  had  denounced  in 
such  harsh  terms.  "While  feeling  thus  condemned, 
and  preparing  to  make  proper  confession,  I  was  taken 
sick,  and  the  same  thing  has  troubled  me  during  my 
fever.  Now,  mamma,  dear,  I  have  told  you  all.  God, 
in  mercy,  has  spared  my  hitherto  almost  useless  life, 
and  from  hence  I  hope  to  be  a  better  girl.  I  shall 
never  feel  comfortable  until  I  have  an  interview  with 
Mary  Dunbar.  I  am  too  weak  to  write.  Will  you, 


The  Great  Revival  at   Tonville.  319 

with  your  own  hand,  pen  a  few  lines  saying  that 
to-morrow  morning,  about  ten  o'clock,  I  shall  be 
very  glad  to  see  her?" 

"  With  all  my  heart,  darling!  And  it  will  please 
Mary  as  well  as  yourself,"  said  the  mother. 

The  interview  was  had.  There  were  confessions 
and  pledges  of  undying  love  and  friendship.  Edith's 
recovery  was  rapid.  She  was  "  transformed  by  the 
renewing  of  her  mind."  Not  many  weeks  after  her 
restoration  to  health  she  was  baptized  by  Mr.  Lat- 
imer  and  afterward  confirmed  by  the  bishop. 

Thomas  England  accompanied  his  son  to  New 
York,  where  the  young  man,  at  a  very  high  salary, 
was  employed  in  the  office  of  a  German  steam-ship 
company.  The  father  was  employed  in  the  same 
place,  leading  a  consistent  Christian  life. 

The  churches  in  Tonville  still  reap  the  benefit  of 
that  great  revival.  They  have  an  abiding  spirit- 
uality and  freedom  from  religious  bigotry.  Mr. 
Latimer  is  yet  at  St.  Mark's,  a  zealous  Episcopalian, 
but  always  jeady  to  bid  God-speed  to  all  that  cast 
out  devils  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 


THE  END. 


